Mexican–American bass-baritone, Richard Ollarsaba, praised by The Washington Post for his meltingly smooth bass-baritone" and for "evoking a young Ruggero Raimondi in looks and manner," represented the USA in the 2019 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, was a member of the prestigious Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago for three seasons, and a Grand-Finalist in the 2013 Metropolitan Laffont Competition (then MONCA).