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George & Nora London Foundation for Singers Presents Shelén Hughes Camacho and Joseph Parrish in “A Love Letter to the Americas' on April 30, 2026
George and Nora London Foundation for Singers Presents Shelén Hughes Camacho, Soprano, and Joseph Parrish, Baritone, in “A Love Letter to the Americas” at Merkin Hall on Thursday, April 30, 2026
Shelén Hughes Camacho and Joseph Parrish
The George and Nora London Foundation for Singers presents fast-rising young stars Shelén Hughes Camacho, soprano, and Joseph Parrish, baritone, performing “A Love Letter to the Americas,” a program featuring works by Mozart, Puccini, Hall Johnson, Eduardo Caba, Julián Aguirre, Moses Hogan, and others, at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 7:30 pm. Joining them are pianist Amir Farid, guitarist Diego Fernández, and percussionist Daniel Jimenez. The two opera singers were among five George London Award winners named at the foundation’s 2025 competition.
Shelén, a 29-year-old native of Cochabamba, Bolivia, and Joseph, a 28-year-old Baltimore native, are a couple, and describe the program thus: “Crossing continents and cultures, the program highlights their distinct heritages through a vibrant blend of classical repertoire, Latin American song, and African American traditions. Rooted in identity, their performances expand the boundaries of what it means to be classical singers, challenging traditional recital structures while moving fluidly between styles—from the blues and romances of North America to the cuecas and boleros of South America. Through dynamic musical storytelling, the evening unfolds as a celebration of the richness, diversity, and unity of the Americas.”
Described by Opera News variously as a “stand out soprano” with an “arresting stage presence” and a “kaleidoscopic” voice, Shelén Hughes Camacho last summer made her Cleveland Orchestra debut at the Blossom Festival. Of his performance in Juilliard’s production of Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up, Parterre Box said, “Joseph Parrish was all silky snarls, his dark eyes at first aglow with sweetness that quickly curdled into something acrid as his monstrous nature was slowly revealed. Parrish displayed a painterly touch on his instrument; the ability to effortlessly slide from laugh to hiss to growl and back to rich singing. … In their climactic final scene, [tenor Andrew] Turner and Parrish were simply riveting.”
Shelén Hughes Camacho sang the “Snow Maiden’s Aria” from Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Snow Maiden to win her George London Award. Watch the performance here.
Joseph Parrish sang “A dream wasted” from William Grant Still’s Highway 1, USA for his George London Award-winning performance. Watch it here.
George London and the George and Nora London Foundation for Singers
George London (1920-1985) was one of the greatest opera stars of the 20th century, who blazed a trail for American singers on the international stage and created some of the most indelible interpretations of prominent bass-baritone roles. In his later years, he devoted much of his time and energy to the support and nurturing of young singers, in partnership with his wife, Nora (1924-2022). Since 1971, the foundation’s annual competition has given more than 300 awards, and a total of more than $2 million, to an outstanding roster of young American and Canadian opera singers who have gone on to international stardom – the list of past winners includes Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming, Christine Goerke, Ryan Speedo Green, Catherine Malfitano, James Morris, Eric Owens, Dimitri Pittas, Matthew Polenzani, Sondra Radvanovsky, Neil Shicoff, Dawn Upshaw, and Willard White, to name just a few. As The New York Times noted, “this prestigious competition … can rightfully claim to act as a springboard for major careers in opera.” See the full list of George London Award winners: https://www.georgeandnoralondon.org/competition.html
In addition to the annual competition, the George and Nora London Foundation also presents a recital series to give grantees exposure and experience, and, in many cases, a New York recital debut. The foundation also awards scholarships to promising high school students attending the pre-college program of The Juilliard School, a program now in its 12th year.
Shelén Hughes Camacho is passionate about both music and social impact. In June 2025 she made her European debut at Frankfurt Opera as Morgana in Alcina and performed at the Blossom Music Festival, singing in Carmina Burana with The Cleveland Orchestra in July. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and The Juilliard School, she received the 2024 Florence and Paul DeRosa Prize and won first place in the Zarzuela/Operetta division of the Gerda Lissner Competition. She is also a 2024 Opera Index winner, a semifinalist in the Concours de Genève, and a finalist in the Renata Tebaldi Competition. Hughes Camacho has performed leading roles at Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, the Perelman Arts Center, and with the New York Festival of Song, making her Carnegie Hall debut in 2019. She has participated in young artist programs including those of the Gstaad Menuhin Festival and the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, where she appeared in Carmen and the world premiere of Awakenings. Recent operatic highlights include Musetta in La bohème at Opera Saratoga, where she returns this summer to sing Adina in L’elisir d’amore. Shelén began her artistic journey as a Bolivian folklore singer and dancer in Cochabamba before pursuing classical music. Beyond the stage, she is the founder of Voices for Bolivia, an international nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of elderly Bolivians in extreme poverty through classical music. www.shelenhughescamacho.com
Joseph Parrish has quickly established himself in the classical music world, performing at renowned venues such as the Salzburger Festspiele and Carnegie Hall. This season’s highlights include solo appearances with the Maryland Symphony, Anchorage Symphony, and the Oratorio Society of New York at Carnegie Hall, performances with Opera Saratoga, and the Junge Opernstars concerts in Kaiserslautern with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern. Joseph performed at the 2025 Caramoor Festival, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s led by Rafael Payare, and earlier in the year sang the part of Christus in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion led by Kent Tritle at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. In 2024-25, he made debuts with the Oratorio Society of New York, MasterVoices, and Town Hall NYC. In June 2024, he debuted as Masetto in Don Giovanni with Cincinnati Opera and as Potapitsch in The Gambler with the Salzburger Festspiele. Joseph holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and The Juilliard School, where he participated in the Gluck Community Service Fellowship Program and the Music Advancement Program. He is a frequent collaborator with the Denyce Graves Foundation and Voices for Bolivia. www.joseph-parrish.com
Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 7:30 pm
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center
George and Nora London Foundation Recital
SHELÉN HUGHES CAMACHO, Soprano
Amir Farid, piano
Diego Fernández, guitar
Daniel Jimenez, percussion
“A Love Letter to the Americas”
A vibrant blend of classical repertoire, Latin American song, and African American traditions, including works by Mozart, Puccini, Hall Johnson, Eduardo Caba, Julián Aguirre, Moses Hogan, and others.
Tickets: $55, $25 for students and seniors
March 17, 2026
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