Ilanna Starr, (mezzo-soprano), praised for her “formidable aplomb” (Le Devoir) and “lovely mezzo voice” (Berkshire Fine Arts), recently completed a two-year residency with l’Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier lyrique, where her roles included Flora (La traviata), L’écureuil and La chatte (L’enfant et les sortilèges), Sesto (La clemenza di Tito), and Nerone (L’incoronazione di Poppea). Highlights of the 2024–25 season include Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro) with Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, the title role in Giulio Cesare with Concerts Lachine, and L’enfant (L’enfant et les sortilèges) as a Tanglewood Vocal Fellow. Additional credits include the Baker’s Wife (Into the Woods) with Opera North and Mercédès (Carmen) with l’Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières. A two-time award winner and regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, Starr has also received prizes from the National Opera Association, the National Society of Arts & Letters’ Martorella Vocal Competition, Nuits Lyriques de Marmande, the Opera Ithaca Edward Murray Competition, and the John Alexander National Vocal Competition, among others. She was a finalist in the 2024 Canadian Opera Company Centre Stage Competition and a semifinalist in the 2024 Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition. Passionate about exploring human experience through song, Starr has curated recital programs on women’s voices, domestic violence, and Jewish resilience. She has trained at Tanglewood, SongFest, and Chautauqua, and holds degrees from Vanderbilt, Northwestern, and McGill.