Bio

Lucila Zavala is a Puerto Rican soprano based in Houston, Texas. She earned her Master’s degree in Music in May 2025 from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, where she studied under the tutelage of world-renowned soprano Ana María Martínez and vocal coach Bethany Self. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, where she trained with Laura Rey, Antonio Barasorda, Ilca López, Elizabeth Rodríguez, Eduardo Valdés, and Pedro J. Jiménez.

In summer 2025, Zavala was selected as a fellow at the Trentino Music Festival in Italy, making her European debut in the title role of Händel’s Alcina. This production, staged by acclaimed director José María Condemi and conducted by Neal Goren, marked an important milestone in her artistic career. That same year, she was engaged by Catapult Opera as an ARTIST in their Digital Opera Shorts series. In September 2025, she will perform and record the aria You Came Down Here from Daniel Catán’s unfinished opera Meet John Doe, under the baton of conductor Robin Guarino, for inclusion in the company’s ongoing series of commissioned and recorded works.

A 2023 National Semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition, Zavala is also a recipient of the Metropolitan Opera Education Fund Grant. She has appeared in leading and featured roles including Juliette in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette and Sor Isabel in Crozier’s With Blood, With Ink. In May 2023, she was invited to participate in the Young Artist Vocal Academy at the Houston Grand Opera, where she worked directly with Dr. Stephen King and other distinguished faculty.

Her festival credits include the Seagle Festival (2023), where she was a Nancy Smith Fellow, and the Bologna International Opera Academy in Italy (2021), where she studied with Leone Maggiera, Stefano Vizioli, Danielle Orlando, Luis Ledesma, and soprano Barbara Frittoli in Milan. She has also performed in educational and outreach programs as a fellow of the Olga Iglesias Project, bringing classical music to diverse audiences and school communities in Puerto Rico.

Zavala’s talent has been recognized with numerous awards, including the CulturArte Award, the Ángel Ramos Foundation Award, the Audience Favorite Award, and the Daisy Ruiz Marrero Foundation Award. She has twice won the Puerto Rico District round of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (2021 and 2022) and advanced to the Gulf Region, later achieving the status of National Semifinalist in 2023. In 2022, she placed third in the Vienna Summer Music Festival competition.

As part of her early career, she performed with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra in productions such as I Pagliacci, La Vida Breve, Carmen, and La Bohème, among others, under the direction of Jo-Ann Herrero with the Puerto Rico Lyric Choir. She has also collaborated with notable conductors and directors throughout her training, building a diverse repertoire and a strong stage presence.

Zavala continues to expand her artistry through collaborations with internationally recognized artists, exploring both traditional operatic repertoire and contemporary works.