Maryland Opera Studio Wins National Scenes Competition Award
February 04, 2026
Second-year students from the program were awarded for a performance from Daniel Catán’s “Florencia en el Amazonas.”
By TJ Wagman ’20
The UMD School of Music’s (SOM) Maryland Opera Studio (MOS) has been named a first-place winner in the 2025–26 Robert Hansen Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition at the national conference of the National Opera Association on January 8 in Boston. The award recognizes “artistic excellence” in opera performances and music conservatories across the country.
Four second-year MOS students performed “Esa es la diferencia” from Daniel Catán’s “Florencia en el Amazonas,” an opera the studio staged in Spring 2024. In this scene, two couples play a tempestuous game of cards that contrasts the growing love between the young Rosalba (Meghan Nelson, soprano) and Arcadio (Max Alexander Cook, tenor) and the escalating tension between Paula (Alla Salakhova, mezzo-soprano) and her husband, Álvaro (Bryan Bennett, bass-baritone).
Judged by a panel of renowned opera industry professionals including Tom Cipullo, Emma Griffin, Kristen Kemp, Corey Trahan and Darren Keith Woods, the performers were praised for their “superb musicianship,” and “excellent use of movement and storytelling,” throughout the competition.
“This accolade is a prestigious honor that recognizes the exceptional achievements of these musicians,” said MOS Director J. Bradley Baker. “It serves not only as a testament to our students’ hard work and dedication, but also to the expertise and training they receive from the entire Maryland Opera Studio team.”
The National Opera Association awarded a total of 6 prizes, representing groups at the undergraduate and graduate levels and divided into divisions according to size and budget. In total, 41 schools participated in the Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition.
For more information, see the full release on the National Opera Association’s website.
Pictured above: Members of the Maryland Opera Studio Pose with their first place plaque. From left to right: J. Bradley Baker, Max Alexander Cook, Bryan Bennett, Alla Salakhova, Meghan Nelson, Corinne Hayes. Photo by Nicole Plummer.