Performances + Events
Soprano Josie Larsen ’23 MM, ’25 AD enrolled at New England Conservatory with very specific goals. “I wanted to become an artist who had a wider range of colors to use in performing,” she said. “I wanted to be able to use my voice to tell different stories.”
Larsen, who earned her artist diploma from NEC in May having studied in the Conservatory’s prestigious Institute for Concert Artists, said she “achieved those goals.” Larsen studied at NEC with Voice Department Chair Bradley Williams through two graduate programs.
Today, Larsen is putting her skills into professional practice at Boston Lyric Opera, where she’s in the 2025–2026 class of Jane & Steven Akin Emerging Artists. The program is “a cornerstone of BLO’s identity, offering training, mentorship, and performance opportunities that bridge academic study and professional careers,” according to a press release. “BLO recognizes that the next generation of opera stars needs to be nurtured in order to flourish,” the program further explains, “and that the future of the art form depends on their success.” Larsen joins several fellow NEC alumni — soprano Angela Yam ’21 GD, tenor Morgan Mastrangelo ’25 MM, and bass-baritone Zizhao Wang ’18, ’20 MM, ’21 GD — who have all returned to the program for a second year.
The BLO’s 2025–2026 Emerging Artists will be showcased in the BLO’s Opera Gala in November and in such collaborations as Getting Into Opera, with GBH Music, and Opera Innovations, with Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
“Being trusted with roles and stage time has offered invaluable experience in working at a professional level,” Yam said.
Angela Yam. Photo courtesy of Boston Lyric Opera.
“At Boston Lyric Opera,” Wang said, “I have learned the importance of adaptability and collaboration at the highest professional level. Each production has its own unique process, and being able to listen, adjust, and contribute meaningfully while singing mainstage roles and many concerts has been essential.”
Mastrangelo agreed. “From performing a role at dress rehearsal with 72 hours’ notice to switching out songs for a concert on the fly, being light on your feet and immaculately prepared are the greatest lessons BLO has taught me so far,” they said.
Morgan Mastrangelo. Photo courtesy of Boston Lyric Opera.
Yam, Wang, and Mastrangelo each view their time at NEC as essential.
“Studying at NEC encouraged me to trust my artistic instincts, fostering my unique artistic voice and providing an educational environment to develop my craft,” Yam said. “That unique artistry is highly sought after in our industry and prepared me for working at companies like Boston Lyric Opera.”
“NEC’s Voice and Opera departments fostered an environment where collaboration and artistry were always at the forefront, and that spirit has been essential as I’ve transitioned into professional companies,” Wang said. “Above all, NEC taught me to approach every new role with curiosity, thorough preparation, and confidence.”
Zizhao Wang. Photo courtesy of Boston Lyric Opera.
“I was extremely fortunate to essentially use NEC as a ‘lab’ to workshop, streamline, and refine repertoire during the preparation process,” Mastrangelo said. “The collaborative atmosphere between these two institutions acted as a springboard, launching me into Boston’s musical community well-resourced and impeccably prepared.”
Larsen said she’s enthusiastic about “getting my first experience being a professional opera singer without a conservatory or a university behind me,” grateful as she is to have realized her goals at NEC, where “everyone played a huge part in that growth.”
In May, Larsen will join the ensemble at the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago. There, she’ll study and cover roles for the Lyric Opera and participate in projects at the Ryan Center and the LOC, which she called “one of the top five” in the United States.
“I’m really excited,” Larsen said, “because it’s going to provide an opportunity to work at an even bigger opera house and branch out.” She’s been in Boston for four years already, and looks forward to expanding her professional circles.
“The Ryan Center is a huge opportunity and a huge step,” Larsen said. “My mentors and coworkers at Boston Lyric Opera are very excited for me.”
