Soprano Angela Meade has been named the seventh recipient of the Metropolitan Opera’s Beverly Sills Artist Award. Open to singers aged between 25 and 40 who have already featured in solo roles at the Met, the $50,000 annual award is the largest of its kind in the United States. 34-year-old Meade follows in the footsteps of baritone Nathan Gunn and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, who won the award in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

‘I am so deeply honoured to be the recipient of the Beverly Sills Award,’ she said. ‘I would have loved to have met Ms Sills. We share much of the same repertoire and her interpretations of Norma, Anna Bolena, Elisabetta in Roberto Devereux, Cleopatra and Violetta have been an inspiration to me.’

Meade made her Met debut in 2008 as Elvira in Verdi’s Ernani. She also appeared as the Countess in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro in 2009 and in the title role of Donizetti’s Anna Bolena earlier this season. She reprises the role of Elvira in a revival production opening today in New York and broadcast in 54 countries and 80 UK cinemas on February 25 as part of The Met:Live in HD season.

The Beverly Sills Artist Award was established in 2006 in honour of the soprano, who was a well-known advocate of rising young singers. In keeping with her legacy the grant helps to further recipients’ careers with funding for vocal and language lessons, travel costs and professional support.