Soprano
Hailing from Agawam, Massachusetts, Megan LaBelle-Smith is an ambitious young artist praised for her agile, resonant voice and riveting stage presence. The 2026 recipient of the Charles F.L. Anderson Opera Performance Scholarship, she is finishing her Bachelor of Music in Vocal performance and Composition at Lawrence University.
She is thrilled for a season rife with opportunity, with upcoming performances such as the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and scenes including Gretel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, and Chorus for Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas.
This past summer, she made her Young Artist debut as an Opera Division Singer with La Musica Lirica, performing Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Other recent performances include Harriet in Kirchoff’s The Clever Artifice of Harriet and Margaret, chorus in the world premiere of Mack’s A Nearer Mother, as well as several scenes, namely Maria Corona in Menotti’s The Saint of Bleecker Street, and Mercédès in Bizet’s Carmen.
In addition to her operatic work, she is also a dedicated concert and choral singer. She recently performed the Soprano 2 part of Steve Reich’s “Music for 18” with Lawrence New Music Ensemble and the Soprano line in Frank Ticheli’s “Angels in the Architecture” with the Lawrence University Symphonic Band. A professional caroler, section leader, and frequent choir soloist, LaBelle-Smith adores singing in all forms, and is passionate to perform all styles, eras, and genres of sung music.
Composer
In addition to her passion for singing, Labelle-Smith is also a “composer of outstanding creative talent and accomplishment,” as described for her receiving of the 2025 Pi Kappa Lambda Composition Award at Lawrence University. Her music explores several styles including choral works, song cycles, electronic music, and chamber music.
Recently, Cantala Women’s Choir with LaBelle-Smith herself conducting premiered her treble choir piece titled “I Saw Above a World of Sky.” The rhythmically-driven piece blends two distinct Sara Teasdale poems into one text, reflecting on the changing nature of all things, and how that perpetual transformation becomes a constant in and of itself.
Other notable performances include her recent recital, featuring “VA” for Soprano and Interactive Electronics (pictured to the let), “From the Wasteland” for SSAATTBB unaccompanied voices, “Ex Eadem” for Violin trio, “Wedge” for fixed media” and As the Shadow to the Body, a four song cycle setting poems by Angelina Weld Grimké, which LaBelle-Smith performed.
She is currently exploring composing for opera through a planned honors project that will take place in the Spring, and looks forward to this new experience blending her two major interests.
Stage Manager (and more!)
When not making the music, LaBelle-Smith is also involved heavily in the behind-the scenes world of opera and music as a stage manager, costume designer, sound technician, and projections manager.
Serving as the current Production Intern for all Opera productions at Lawrence University for the past two years, LaBelle-Smith has organized production teams, created supertitles, and trained several new stage management teams.
Her Stage Management experience includes her role as the Production and Calling stage manager for both 2026’s Spring Opera Scenes program and 2025’s fully produced mainstage opera, Menotti’s The Consul. She was the costume designer for the Sextet from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and has created and/or ran supertitles for all operatic projects and multiple recitals at Lawrence since coming into the role.
Her technical experience is also seen in the world of concert music and composition. As the school’s Electronic Music Assistant, LaBelle-Smith has created educational materials and tutored several students on audio interfaces and engraving methods. She has assisted several student and faculty recitals in their performances of electronic music, both fixed media and interactive.
An experienced projections operator, Labelle-Smith ran the visual portion of the premiere of Tim Takasch’s “We Are Phoenix,” performed by NEWVoices, as well as multiple performances of Jocelyn Hagen’s “The Notebooks of Leonardo DaVinci.” (pictured to the right)
