Soprano Elena Villalón is a studio artist at Houston Grand Opera and was named a Grand Finals winner of the 2019 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Career highlights include Inès in Kevin Newbery’s new production of La Favorite, and La Mujer in the world premiere of Javier Martinez’ El Milagro de Recuerdo. Ms. Villalón was a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theater of St. Louis in the 2018/2019 season, where she debuted as Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro and performed scenes as Lucia from Lucia di Lammermoor. She sang Marzelline in Fidelio with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, where she earned the company’s Barbara and Stanley Richman Award. She now appears in recital with Houston Grand Opera and the Cincinnati Song Initiative, and has performed in a variety of digital concerts. The soprano was engaged to portray Sophie in Werther, Clorinda in La Cenerentola, and to cover the role of Bess in HGO’s Breaking the Waves before these productions were cancelled due to the pandemic. During the 2020/2021 season, she will perform in HGO online productions of Vinkensport, The Snowy Day, and Hansel and Gretel.