129 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10016

Supporting the future of music Emerging Artist Fellowship

Meet our artists for the 2026-27 year!

MABC is proud to offer opportunities for aspiring singers to explore the music of various genres and to showcase their artistry with appearances in our Madison Sounds music series and special occasions, including our Easter and Christmas festival services.

  • Mina Azad

    Mezzo-Soprano

    Mina Azad

    Mezzo-Soprano

    Texas native Mina Azad is a New York City based Mezzo-Soprano, remarked for her rich tone and musicality. Mina holds a Bachelor’s Degree in vocal performance from NYU Steinhardt and a Master’s in Voice from the Manhattan School of Music. She has performed across the United States and internationally in a diverse range of operatic roles, recently including Zita in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Cherubino in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with the Berlin Opera Academy, Carmen in Manhattan School of Music’s Highlights from Carmen, and Ruth in Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters. In New York City, Mina has appeared at renowned venues, including Carnegie Hall and David Geffen Hall.

  • Emily Tate Daniel

    Soprano

    Emily Tate Daniel

    Soprano

    Hailed for her “powerful, rich voice with great control”, Emily Tate Daniel is an American soprano on the rise. In the 2025 – 2026 season, Emily made her role debut as Nedda in Pagliacci with Greve Opera in July 2025, a role she reprised in November 2025 with Connecticut Virtuosi Opera. She also debuted with Regina Opera as Suor Dolcina in Suor Angelica, covered Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly with Maryland Opera, sang Frasquita in Carmen with Connecticut Virtuosi Opera, and performed the title role in Suor Angelica with Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy. Highlights of the 2026 – 2027 season include competing as a semi-finalist in the SAS Performing Arts Vocal Competition 2026 and performing the soprano solo in the world premiere of Sandra Tracz’s “In Via” with the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra.

    Previous seasons have seen Emily as the title role in Luisa Miller at Verismo Opera, Alice Ford (cover) in Falstaff at Opera San José, Tosca (cover) in Tosca at Livermore Valley Opera, Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte at Asheville Lyric Opera, and Micaëla (cover) in Carmen with Long Island Opera. She is an alumna of the San Francisco Conservatory, where she was a grateful recipient of the Iphigenia Wise Ochs scholarship, and the Peabody Conservatory, where she received a Career Development Grant.

  • Justin Hong

    Tenor

    Justin Hong

    Tenor

    Praised for his warm, full lyric sound and technical seamlessness, Justin Hong is an emerging operatic tenor. A graduate of the College of Fine Arts at Boston University, he continued his studies at the Manhattan School of Music under the guidance of renowned tenor Dimitri Pittas.

    During the 2026 season, Justin was a young artist with the Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre, where he covered the role of Frederic in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance. Previously, he was a young artist with both the Taos Opera Institute and Classic Lyric Arts during the 2025 season.

    Most recently, Justin portrayed Tito in La clemenza di Tito at the Manhattan School of Music, earning praise for the dramatic intensity of his performance. His additional operatic credits include Giles Corey in Robert Ward’s The Crucible and Benvolio in Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, both at the Manhattan School of Music.

  • Ramon Tenefrancia

    Tenor

    Ramon Tenefrancia

    Tenor

    Ramon Gabriel Tenefrancia is a rising tenor praised for his “commanding lyric tenor” (The Philippine Daily Inquirer) and “crisp tenor and sly charisma” (American Presswire). Known for his dramatic versatility and charismatic stage presence, he continues to distinguish himself in leading roles across the operatic repertoire. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, his credits include Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Alfredo (La Traviata), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Little Bat McLean (Susannah), Beppe (I Pagliacci), and Prince Charming (Knightly News).

  • Daiyao Zhong

    Mezzo-Soprano

    Daiyao Zhong

    Mezzo-Soprano

    Equally at home on the concert stage, Zhong has performed as a soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Choral Fantasy, Bach’s Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah, and the requiems of Fauré, Verdi, and Mozart. She has also been featured in recitals and concerts throughout the United States and internationally, with a particular focus on text-driven interpretation and twentieth- and twenty-first-century vocal repertoire. 

    Her honors include winning the University of Michigan Friends of Opera Competition and receiving Second Prize in both the 2026 Harold Haugh Light Opera Vocal Competition and Opera de Metro Detroit’s 2026 Concours de Voix Voice Competition. She is also a recipient of the AuditionAir Artist Grant, U.S. at 250 Grant, EXCEL Prize Impact Award, Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant, and ArtsEngine Award.

    Zhong recently earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice from the University of Michigan, where she studied with Freda Herseth. She holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Voice from Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with legendary mezzo-soprano Mignon Dunn. 

    Beyond the stage, Zhong is an experienced voice educator and a columnist for Classical Singer magazine. Through her performing, teaching, and writing, she is committed to making classical vocal music more immediate and accessible while encouraging the next generation of singers to develop their own distinctive artistic voices.

A Year of Training, Mentorship, and Performance

Our Emerging Artists will receive a tuition-free, year long training and performance program designed for aspiring vocalists. These singers will explore a wide range of musical genres while showcasing their talents through featured performances in the Madison Sounds concert series, MABC’s major holiday services (Christmas and Easter), and regular Sunday worship services.

  • Fellows will engage deeply with a diverse repertoire, including:

    • Sacred choral masterworks
    • Opera scenes
    • Art song and chamber music
    • Contemporary and musical theater selections

    They will perform at several Worship Services at Madison Avenue Baptist Church and at the prestigious OPERA America for special concerts.

  • Our fellows will participate in monthly masterclasses from prestigious and acclaimed artists:

    • Arthur Levy, distinguished Professor of Voice at Mannes School of Music and former mentor of Audra McDonald
    • Olga Makarina, internationally acclaimed soprano and veteran of the Metropolitan Opera
    • Mzia Nioradze, internationally celebrated Georgian-American mezzo-soprano who has appeared with the Mariinsky Theatre, the Metropolitan Opera, and other renowned international opera companies

  • Former fellows have advanced to international stages, prestigious festivals, and leading academic institutions. Their accomplishments include appearances at the Aspen Music Festival, Carnegie Hall, the Vienna Summer Music Festival, and the Asian International Music Festival, as well as engagements with renowned organizations such as Las Vegas Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and the Boston Festival Orchestra.

Support our artists!

It is through your generous support of our music program that we can continue to support our artists.

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