Crowd favorite Opera Saratoga alum wins prestigious award
Upstate New Yorker is honored as a Rising Star after repeat starring roles in Saratoga.
After consecutive starring roles in Opera Saratoga’s past two seasons, baritone Shavon Lloyd was awarded the prestigious Rising Star distinction by his alma mater, the elite Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam.
The award is given to alum who have excelled specifically in the decade after their graduation, according to a report in the Hudson Valley Press. Lloyd graduated in 2019, and in addition to his work at Opera Saratoga, has become an award-winning composer, performer, conductor and music educator. After completing his Bachelor of Music in music education, he earned a Master of Music in vocal performance at the Juilliard School in 2024.
While in Saratoga the last two summers, the Middtown, NY native has earned raved reviews for his roles with Opera Saratoga, beginning with his epic turn as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls in 2024.
“As [Mikaela Bennett’s] unlikely suitor, the notorious and dashing gambler, Sky Masterson, Shavon Lloyd shows confidence and a rich singing voice,” wrote a July 3, 3034 review in WAMC. “Lloyd excels in ‘My Time of Day,’ and ‘Luck Be a Lady.’” The article called their duets “magical.”
During the 2025 Summer Festival this past May and June, Lloyd starred in the site-specific hit In a Grove (performed outside at Spa State Park) and the musical She Loves Me.
In addition to his work with Opera Saratoga, Lloyd has performed a solo debut at Victoria Hall in Geneva, Switzerland and the Harlem Opera Festival, and had a featured appearance at Carnegie Hall.
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He was wonderful!!! Such a great voice and terrific actor.