ELLEN CHICKERING YOUNG ARTIST AWARD
On April 19, 2020, Opera Maine lost Ellen Chickering, one of our most vital supporters and beloved friends. A voice teacher and longtime head of the opera program at the University of Southern Maine, Ellen led the Opera Maine Young Artist Program with much panache and success in 1996 and 1997, and again from 2002 to 2010. The last Opera Maine project that Ellen worked on was directing our commissioned opera, Girl in Six Beats in 2018. Ellen was also a valuable member of Opera Maine’s Advisory Council.
Opera Maine honors Ellen’s memory and dedication to Opera Maine with the Ellen Chickering Young Artist Award. This annual award recognizes a singer who performs with Opera Maine and who is on a trajectory to become a professional opera performer. Recipients have performed as Education Outreach Young Artists and as members of the chorus, covered mainstage roles, taken part in special master classes, and given special concerts.
Addison Littlefield, soprano, a native of Sidney, Maine, recently graduated from the Maryland Opera Studio at the University of Maryland with an M.M. in Opera Performance. While at the Maryland Opera Studio, she performed Diana in If I Were You, Arminda in La finta giardiniera, and premiered the role of Milkmaid in The Fishwife by Ashi Day. She was also a featured soloist in the UMD Bach Cantata Series BWV 124: Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht. Littlefield is the 2026 recipient of Opera Maine’s Ellen Chickering Young Artist Award. She recently received 1st Place in both the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Region Classical NATS Competition and the 2025 Maryland/DC Classical NATS Competition. In 2024, she received her B.M. in Vocal Performance from Lawrence Conservatory of Music. Littlefield’s upcoming engagements include Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Winter Harbor Music Festival in August 2026.
PAST RECIPIENTS:
2025 – Jared Vigue
2024 – Mia Love
2023 – Daniel Laverriere
2022 – Jonas Rimkunas
2021 – Aaren Rivard
Opera Maine Education Outreach Young Artists present in school programs throughout Maine led by Opera Maine Teaching Artist, Dr. Malinda Haslett.
Nicholas Sutton
Caroline Woods
2022