Named for the groundbreaking African American contralto, the Marian Anderson Vocal Award recognizes a young American singer in opera, oratorio, or recital repertory.

This year’s winner, Soloman Howard, is praised for his “sonorous” (The New York Times) and “superhuman” (The Denver Post) bass. Since graduating from our Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program in 2014, Soloman has performed on celebrated opera stages around the world from the Metropolitan Opera to Teatro Real de Madrid. Among many of Soloman’s WNO notable appearances include his role as the King in 2017’s Aida and Frederick Douglass/Martin Luther King Jr. in 2015’s Appomattox.