“Mariposa thrilled with a spirited take on “Ah quel giorno ognor rammento” from Rossini’s “Semiramide,” masterfully navigating its quicksilver coloratura with comfort and confidence. The judges’ request for “Werther! qui m’aurait dit la place” showcased her attention to detail and her spellbinding dramatic energy.”

“Vocally, Michelle Mariposa stood out as Dawn. Dawn’s aria was some of the opera’s most beautiful music: a meditation on the burden of silence passed from mother to daughter; the plot’s emotional core, particularly as rendered by Mariposa’s rich, powerful mezzo.”

— Parterre Box (The Weight of Light)

“Filipino-Chinese mezzo-soprano Michelle Mariposa was one of the five winners of the esteemed Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition, held at Lincoln Center, New York, last March 16. She is the third Filipino, and the first Filipino mezzo-soprano, to win one of the top prizes, after Evelyn Mandac (soprano) in 1966 and Rodell Rosel (tenor) in 2005. Filipino-Mexican Paul Corona (bass) won in 2006.”

Pinay mezzo-soprano singer Michelle Mariposa was one of the 1,500 participants of the Metropolitan Opera’s Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition. The 30-year-old Filipino-Chinese singer from Quezon City wowed judges with her performance of Gioachino Rossini’s Semiramide, and Jules Massenet’s Werther and emerged as one of the five winners to win the competition.