Baltimore Native Soprano Adia Evans Wins 2026 George London Award

Baltimore’s classical music community has a new reason to celebrate. Soprano Adia Evans, a proud Baltimore native and alumna of the Baltimore School for the Arts, has been named a 2026 George London Award winner—one of six singers to receive the competition’s top $12,000 prize at the 54th annual George and Nora London Foundation for Singers Competition.

The awards were announced February 20th at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York City, following the competition’s final round. Evans, 32, was selected from a pool of 180 applicants representing some of the most promising young opera singers across the United States and Canada.

A total of $80,000 in awards was distributed this year. Of the ten finalists who performed at Merkin Hall, six were named George London Award winners, each receiving $12,000. The remaining finalists were honored with Encouragement Awards of $2,000 each.

Evans performed “Es gibt ein Reich” from Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, earning the George London Award in memory of Leonie Rysanek, sponsored by Thurmond Smithgall. Her performance is now available for public viewing on YouTube.

Continuing a Story of Excellence

Earlier this month, The Baltimore Times highlighted Evans’ artistic journey in a February 12th feature that explored her Baltimore roots, rigorous training, and rising national profile. At the time, her momentum was already undeniable. Just days later, that promise translated into one of opera’s most prestigious honors.

This latest achievement builds upon the foundation outlined in our previous coverage—one marked by discipline, competition success, and standout performances with major opera institutions. The George London Award not only affirms her vocal brilliance but positions her among an elite lineage of singers whose careers have accelerated onto international stages.

A Rising Voice on the National Stage

Currently a second-year soprano in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s prestigious Ryan Opera Center, Evans continues to expand her artistic reach. During Lyric’s 2024–25 season, she appeared in productions of The Listeners, Blue, and Rigoletto. She is slated to appear in the company’s 2025–26 production of El último sueño de Frida y Diego.

Her performance credits also include engagements with Santa Fe Opera, the Merola Opera Program, Fort Worth Opera, Opera Columbus, Tulsa Opera, and Knoxville Opera.

A graduate of University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Evans holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music. Her master’s work was completed as part of the Knoxville Opera Studio.

Her competition résumé is equally impressive. She was a semifinalist at Barcelona’s Concours Tenor Viñas, a 2025 Lola Fletcher Award winner from the American Opera Society of Chicago, and a recipient of the 2024 Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation. She also earned Third Place in the Midwest Region of the 2024 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and First Place in the 2023 Dallas Opera Lonestar Vocal Competition.

A Prestigious Legacy

Since 1971, the George and Nora London Foundation has awarded more than 300 grants totaling over $2 million to emerging opera artists. Past winners include celebrated voices such as Renée Fleming, Joyce DiDonato, Dawn Upshaw, and Ryan Speedo Green.

As The New York Times has noted, the competition has long served as a “springboard for major careers in opera.”

The foundation was established by legendary bass-baritone George London and his wife, Nora London, to support and nurture the next generation of opera talent.

Baltimore’s Cultural Pride

For Baltimore, Evans’ win is more than an individual milestone—it is a reflection of the city’s enduring investment in arts education and creative excellence. From the halls of the Baltimore School for the Arts to one of the most respected opera competitions in North America, her journey exemplifies the power of preparation meeting opportunity.

As The Baltimore Times continues to follow her ascent, one thing is clear: Adia Evans’ voice is not only resonating in major concert halls—it is carrying the pride of Baltimore with it.