Elena Villalón realized early that she wanted to pursue her passion for singing as a career. A class of 2015 alumna, she sang in the McCallum choir and studied voice all through high school. Voice teacher Angela Irving, who regularly works with McCallum students, remembers hearing about Villalón before she even heard her sing.

“I was already tipped off by Mr. Rudy that she was really talented, so I was already expecting to hear something amazing,” Irving said. “I thought, ‘Oh, wow, this is a really pretty voice. She has a special instrument.'”

Villalón worked hard and quickly made a name for herself, even singing at the opening of the AISD Performing Arts Center as a senior in high school. After graduating, she moved onto the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. At age 21, she won the Grand Finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, one of the top competitions in which young singers make their names in the industry.

“I had a wonderful experience,” Villalón said. “The competition was wonderful, and I certainly felt supported at every level and stage, and they really wanted the best for us even though there’s a very high-stakes competition.”

Villalón was starstruck to be singing in the Grand Finals, but she knew she had to make the most of her once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“You sing the finals with full orchestra—the Met orchestra, which is one of the most premier orchestras in the country—so it was like, little old me, 21, singing with the Met orchestra,” Villalón said. “[It] was insane.”

Listen to the full episode of Feedback Loop for Elena’s take on her work ethic and what it takes to be a skilled singer in her field. The Marriage of Figaro, in which Villalón stars as Susanna, opens on Nov. 6 with the Austin Opera.