meet anna.
A Rochester, Michigan, native, Anna Thompson is a soprano who has been lauded for performances possessing both “power and grace” (San Francisco Classical Voice).
In the 2026-2027 season, Anna joins the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at The Metropolitan Opera. She makes her Metropolitan Opera debut as the Priestess in Aida. She also covers the roles of Karolka in Jenůfa and the 1st Sentry in Parsifal.
During the 2025-2026 season, Anna joined the Academy of Vocal Arts as a Resident Artist, where she debuted as Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, and as Countess Madeleine in Strauss’ Capriccio. She also made her Carnegie Hall debut with the American Symphony Orchestra in George Bristow’s Niagara Symphony. This summer, she joins the Merola Opera Program to sing Micäela in Peter Brook’s La tragédie de Carmen.
Anna was recently named a Grand Finals Winner of The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. She has also been recognized with the Top Prize at the Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition, a George & Nora London Foundation Award, a Sullivan Foundation Award, 3rd Place in the Dallas Opera National Vocal Competition, 2nd Prize in the Giulio Gari Foundation International Vocal Competition, 5th Place in the Loren L. Zachary Vocal Competition, 2nd Place in the Florida Grand Opera: Young Patronesses of the Opera Competition, and the Judges’ Special Prize in the Gerda Lissner Foundation Art Song Competition.
During the 2024-2025 season, Anna debuted the role of Marie Antoinette in John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles and the title role in Alcina at Rice University. As a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, she covered Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus. She also appeared in scenes as the title role in Manon and Alice Ford in Falstaff at OTSL’s Center Stage Concert with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Anna also debuted at the Bard Music Festival in the title role of Bohuslav Martinů’s Mariken de Nimègue, and as the soprano soloist in Martinů’s The Prophecy of Isaiah with The Orchestra Now.
Highlights from prior seasons include training as an Apprentice Artist with The Santa Fe Opera, where Anna covered Marianne Leitmetzerin in Der Rosenkavalier and appeared as Clorinda in scenes from La Cenerentola. She also sang Female Chorus in a concert performance of The Rape of Lucretia and Helmwige in scenes from Die Walküre at Rice University. She also covered Beatriz in Jimmy Lopez’s Bel Canto and appeared as Sophie de Palma in Terrence McNally’s Masterclass alongside Phylicia Rashad, directed by Joanna Gleason at the Aspen Music Festival. While at Aspen, she also performed scenes as Violetta in La traviata, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, and First Lady in Die Zauberflöte. She performed as a soloist with the Aspen Percussion Ensemble, singing Alberto Ginastera’s Cantata para América Mágica. As an Emerging Artist with the Seagle Festival, Anna sang the title role in Suor Angelica and covered Mary Johnson in Gregory Spears’ Fellow Travelers. While at Eastman, Anna sang Diana in Cavalli’s La Calisto. She was a soloist with the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra, singing John Harbison’s Mirabai Songs as the 2021 winner of the Voice & Opera Department Concerto Competition, and on Mozart’s Mass in C minor.
Past honors include being awarded 2nd Place in the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition, 3rd Place in the Mario Lanza Institute Scholarship Competition, 1st Place of the Fielder Grant from the Music Club of Austin, Finalist in the Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, Finalist in the National Opera Association’s Carolyn Bailey Argento Vocal Competition, Semi-Finalist in the John Alexander National Vocal Competition, Finalist in the Vanderlaan Prize at Opera Grand Rapids, Winner of the Schmidt Undergraduate Vocal Competition, Encouraging Vocal Excellence Award Winner of the Orpheus International Vocal Competition, 2nd Place Winner of the Friends of Eastman Opera Competition, and Winner of the Eastman Voice & Opera Department Concerto Competition.
At AVA, Anna studied with Bill Schuman. She graduated with her M.M. from Rice University, where she studied with Nova Thomas. She holds a B.M. from the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Nicole Cabell, as well as a B.A. in Linguistics as part of the dual-degree program at the University of Rochester.
