Soprano Nadine Sierra has been named the 2018 recipient of the Beverly Sills Artist Award, presented by the Metropolitan Opera to singers between the ages of 25 and 40. The honor includes a $50,000 prize.
The award, now in its 13th year, aims to help fund resources for recipients' careers, including voice lessons and coaching, travel costs, and professional assistance.
After becoming the youngest ever winner of the Met’s National Council Auditions in 2009, Sierra made her Met debut in 2015 as Gilda in Rigoletto; she is set to reprise her performance in the Michael Mayer production during the 2018–2019 season.
“This award is a true gift to singers because it honors not only a beautiful artist in Beverly Sills, but treasures the legacy she left behind. It's not enough to say that I'm honored to be receiving it, but more that I feel incredibly humbled,” said Sierra in a statement. “Opera can and should belong to anyone who has the pleasure of witnessing its timeless beauty. I believe Ms. Sills, through all of her achievements and generosity of sharing this music with people around the world for many decades, would certainly agree.”
Read: MEET NADINE SIERRA, THE YOUNG SOPRANO WOWING AUDIENCES IN LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
Sierra’s additional roles at the Met include Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Ilia in Idomeneo, and Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro. She has also performed in opera houses around the world, including Paris Opera, La Scala, and Berlin State Opera. Last year, she was named winner of the Richard Tucker Music Foundation Award.
