From Saint Viator to the Metropolitan Opera Competition for Emerging Artists
Ryan Wolfe ’14 found his voice, so to speak, when he started performing in the Saint Viator musicals. Memorably, during his junior year, he starred as Lumiere in "Beauty & the Beast." To this day, Ryan still credits his former choral director, Kristina Sandrock, as one of his mentors.
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Fast-forward 11 years, and he is now an accomplished opera singer, having performed with companies across the country. On Sunday, Ryan will take the stage at the Metropolitan Opera in New York as one of 20 semifinalists—and one of only three baritones—in the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition.
"I did this competition for the first time in 2015 and every year since then, so I’ve been locked in on this goal for a long time," Wolfe says. “To have the chance to sing on stage at the Met is a dream come true."
"Obviously I want to advance to the finals and sing with the Met orchestra, but if you were to tell me I’d have this chance back in 2015, I’d be elated and very proud," he adds. "I’m just going to keep doing my thing and see what happens!"
The Laffont Competition discovers promising young opera singers and assists them in developing their careers. If he advances to the finals, he will perform on stage with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra on March 16.
The competition is rigorous. It requires contestants to sing four operatic arias—in two or more languages of varying styles.
Back in high school, Ryan, encouraged by Mrs. Sandrock, set out to major in music education at DePaul University. However, after working with vocal coaches like Jeff Ray, he narrowed his focus and majored in opera.
He hasn’t looked back. For the last two years, he has been a member of the Young Artist Program at the Los Angeles Opera. He has also performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Des Moines Metro Opera, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the Richmond Symphony, to name a few.
This season, Wolfe made his company debut with Wolf Trap Opera in Washington D.C., where he was Lt. Gordon in Kevin Puts’ "Silent Night." He returned to the LA Opera to perform in "Madama Butterfly," followed this month by performing as Count Paris in "Roméo et Juliette."
He hasn’t looked back. For the last two years, he has been a member of the Young Artist Program at the Los Angeles Opera. He has also performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Des Moines Metro Opera, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the Richmond Symphony, to name a few.
This season, Wolfe made his company debut with Wolf Trap Opera in Washington D.C., where he was Lt. Gordon in Kevin Puts’ "Silent Night." He returned to the LA Opera to perform in "Madama Butterfly," followed this month by performing as Count Paris in "Roméo et Juliette."
Saint Viator High School
Located in Arlington Heights, IL, Saint Viator High School is a private, co-ed, Catholic school for grades 9-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.
