The Hildegard Behrens Foundation has announced that the 14th annual Hildegard Behrens Prize was awarded to Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Program soprano Juliana Grigoryan, OperaWire reported.

Grigoryan is in her first year of the program and received the prize at a ceremony in the Metropolitan Opera Grand Tier on February 9th, 2024, in celebration of the 87th anniversary of Behrens’ birthday.

In a statement, the soprano said Grigoryan said “I was truly surprised when Mr. Gaston Ormazabal told me I had received this incredible prize. It is an honor to be recognized by your esteemed organization. I am humbled and deeply touched that one’s art is appreciated by the world of classical music. Organizations like the Behrens Foundation are a source of great inspiration for any young artist. It is very important to feel this support in the first steps of your career.”

Grigoryan makes her Met debut this season in a production of “Turandot.” The soprano recently won the Operalia competition and has performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Teatro Comunale Alighieri, and the Dutch National Opera.

She joins past prize recipients which include Layla Claire, Emalie Savoy, Ying Fang, Michelle Bradley, Hyesang Park, Gabriella Reyes, Mario Chang, Kang Wang, Jonah Hoskins, and Matthew Cairns, among others.

Separately, OperaWire reports that the Metropolitan Opera has announced a cast change for its March 2, 2024 performance of “Turandot.”

The company announced that Juliana Grigoryan will replace Aleksandra Kurzak in the role of Liu. The news comes as Kurzak will be performing “Madama Butterfly” on the same day following a cast change.