The American Prize is honored to announce the winners, runners-up, citation and honorable mention recipients of
The American Prize in Vocal Performance (women in art song and oratorio), 2016—The Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Award, in
all divisions. Congratulations!
Complete listings of finalists and semi-finalists in The American Prize competitions may be found elsewhere on this blog
. Please use the chronological tool in the right-hand column to find specific results.
Please make us aware of any misprints: theamericanprize@gmail.com
The American Prize in Vocal Performance—Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Award
honors the memory of the greatest Wagnerian baritone of his age,
Friedrich Schorr, who commanded the operatic stage between the world
wars, and his wife, Virginia Schorr, who taught studio voice at the
Manhattan School of Music and the Hartt School of Music for nearly fifty
years. The Prize recognizes and rewards the best performances by
classically trained vocalists in America in 2016, based on submitted
recordings.
The American Prize in Vocal Performance (women in art song and oratorio), 2016
The Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Award
(professional division)
The American Prize winner: "OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE in Art Song & Oratorio"
MARGARET LIAS
Boston MA
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| MARGARET LIAS |
Mezzo-soprano, Margaret Lias, has been celebrated for
her “warm,” “arresting,” and “rich-toned” singing. Since her Boston
Symphony Hall debut in 2011 with Handel and Haydn Society, Margaret has
been a frequent soloist under the baton of Harry Christophers. In 2015,
Margaret received praise for her Lincoln Center solo debut singing
Mozart’s Requiem. Select solo appearances in 2016 and 2017 include
Princeton Pro Musica, Handel Society of Dartmouth, Arcadia Players,
Cleveland Orchestra, and Emmanuel Music. Margaret was a founding member
of The Skylark Vocal Ensemble under Matthew Guard. She performs
frequently with Seraphic Fire under Patrick Dupré Quigley, Boston
Baroque under Martin Pearlman, Voices of Ascension under Dennis Keene,
Sacred Music in a Sacred Space under K. Scott Warren, Emmanuel Music
under Ryan Turner, and Musica Sacra New York under Kent Tritle. This
season, Margaret is thrilled to add New York City Opera Renaissance
chorus to her roster of ensembles.
www.margaretlias.com
2nd PLACE (there was a tie):
MELISA BONETTI
Cincinnati OH
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| MELISA BONETTI |
Melisa Bonetti, Mezzo-soprano, just completed the
Dayton Opera Artist in Residence program in which she made her Dayton
Opera Mainstage debut as Emilia in Otello. After enjoying her time as a
young artist with the Des Moines Metro Opera 2015 summer festival in
which she played the role of Isabela in Catan's La Hija de Rappaccini,
"Melisa Bonetti commanded a wonderful presence in the lower middle voice
but also easily soared heavenward with a well-schooled top" - Opera
Today, Ms.Bonetti will return to sing with the company this Summer in
the roles of Maria Maddalena and Scribe in Glass' Galileo Galilei. After
a full season with Kentucky Opera last year, Melisa returned earlier
this season to sing Marcellina for their Nozze di Figaro concert tour.
During her work with Kentucky Opera last year Ms. Bonetti performed
Lorca Ainadamar, a production with the Lexington Philharmonic, Clare in
Daron Hagen's new work, A Woman in Morocco, Flora La Traviata, Wowkle La
Fanciulla del West, & Mexican Flower Woman Streetcar Named
Desire. Since completing her Master’s in voice at the Cincinnati
Conservatory of Music, she has also worked with the Dayton Philharmonic,
Opera Columbus, Cincinnati Opera Outreach and Chorus, and the Queens
Symphony Orchestra. During her summer's as a Master's student she
participated in the Wolf Trap Opera studio artist program and in I Sing
Beijing as a young artist. She completed her undergraduate degree at
Queens College's Aaron Copland School of Music in New York.
www.MelisaBonettiMezzo.com
2nd PLACE (there was a tie):
STELLA DAYRIT RODEN
Warrensburg MO
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| STELLA DAYRIT RODEN |
Stella Dayrit Roden, soprano, has performed as a
featured soloist with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, New Britain
Symphony, and the Connecticut Virtuosi. As Resident Artist with the
Wichita Grand Opera, she performed the role of 'Cousin' in Puccini's
Madama Butterfly and served as a member of the opera chorus for the 2011
season. In the summers of 2012 and 2013, she performed several
concerts in Florence, Italy, a series sponsored by Accademia Europea di
Firenze and Misericordia di Firenze, Piazza Duomo. Stella Roden received
her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Connecticut, a
Master of Music degree, Vocal Performance from New England
Conservatory, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from James
Madison University. Dr. Roden has also been a finalist in prestigious
competitions such as the Connecticut Opera Guild, the Austin Lyric Young
Artist's Competition, and the NATSAA New England Regional Division
Competition.
3rd PLACE (there was a tie):
SARAH NELSON CRAFT
Brooklyn NY
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| SARAH NELSON CRAFT |
Mezzo-soprano Sarah Nelson Craft’s commanding,
versatile voice most recently brought her to Paris where she
participated in The Song Continues: Paris Residency, performing in
recitals and working closely with Marilyn Horne and Martin Katz.
Performances this season include Mozart’s Coronation Mass with the
American Classical Orchestra at Alice Tully Hall and
Vivaldi’s Gloria with the Masterworks Festival Chorus at Carnegie Hall.
In 2013 Ms. Craft made her mainstage debut with the Caramoor Festival as
Ninetta in Verdi’s Les vêpres siciliennes and was noted as a “young
singer to watch out for”. She has been a soloist at Avery Fisher Hall in
Bach’s Mass in B minor and Handel’s Messiah with the National Chorale,
and in Mahler’s Symphony No.2 with the New Jersey Festival Orchestra. In
2016 Carnegie Hall will present Ms. Craft in a solo Spotlight Recital
with pianist Warren Jones at Weill Recital Hall.
www.sarahnelsoncraft.com
3rd PLACE (there was a tie):
MARGOT ROOD
East Boston MA
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| MARGOT ROOD |
Soprano Margot Rood, hailed for her “luminosity and
grace” by The New York Times, performs a wide range of repertoire.
Recent and upcoming solo appearances include those with Cleveland
Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Handel and
Haydn Society, Seraphic Fire, A Far Cry, Boston Modern Orchestra
Project, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Blue Heron, Cape Symphony, Bach
Collegium San Diego, Grand Harmonie, as well as onstage with Boston
Early Music Festival, Monadnock Music, St. Petersburg Opera, Helios
Early Opera and Green Mountain Opera Festival. Ms. Rood is the recipient
of prestigious awards including the St. Botolph Emerging Artist Award
(2015), and the Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Fellowship at Emmanuel Music
(2015). Ms. Rood is a core member of Lorelei Ensemble, Boston's 9-voice
women's ensemble. Her new solo recording with composer Heather Gilligan,
Living in Light, will be released in 2017. Ms. Rood holds degrees from
the University of Michigan and McGill University.
www.margotrood.com
FINALIST—SPECIAL CITATION: "Outstanding Performance in Art Song"
RACHEL JOSELSON
Iowa City IA
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| RACHEL JOSELSON |
While still a university student in voice
performance, Rachel Joselson performed with the Indianapolis and Atlanta
Symphony Orchestras. Her first full-time operatic contract was in
Darmstadt, Germany, singing roles as Rosina, Dorabella, Cherubino,
Adalgisa and Idamante before switching to soprano repertoire during her
years at Hamburg State Opera. She has performed with symphony orchestras
in Cedar Rapids, Madison, Oshkosh, and Johnson City, and was featured
with the Utah Festival Opera with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and
Orchestra in Salt Lake City. Joselson was invited to Leipzig, Germany,
where she presented a lecture and master classes about American song
composers at a convention for the German Association of Voice Teachers
International Convention. In Halle, she taught a master class on bel
canto technique and was an artist-in-residence at the Asolo Song
Festival and Institute in Italy. Ms. Joselson received her Doctor of
Musical Arts Degree from Rutgers University.
FINALIST—SPECIAL CITATION: "Outstanding Performance in Oratorio"
ROSALIND LEE
Oak Park IL
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| ROSALIND LEE |
Rosalind Lee, soprano, has been described as "a
beautiful soprano with a glowing voice." She has appeared as the soprano
soloist in Bach’s Magnificat, Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, Gounod’s
St. Cecilia Mass, Haydn’s Paukenmesse and Lord Nelson Mass, Mozart’s
Vesperae solennes de confessore, Orff’s Carmina burana, Schubert’s Mass
in G, Mollicone’s Beatitude Mass, and Vivaldi's Gloria. She's appeared
as a soloist with groups such as the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra,
Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Bach Week Festival, Chorus Angelorum, Elgin
Choral Union, Handel Week Festival, North Shore Choral Society, Fort
Wayne Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in their Kraft
Family Concert series. Ms. Lee has also covered soprano solos in
Beethoven's Missa solemnis, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Orff's Carmina Burana,
and Verdi's Requiem for the CSO. On the opera stage, she has appeared
at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Glimmerglass Festival, Bloomington Early
Music Festival, Music by the Lake, and Light Opera Works, among others. (
http://www.rosalind-lee.com)
FINALIST—SPECIAL CITATION: "Outstanding Performance in Music before 1800"
ELISABETH MARSHALL
Portland ME
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| ELISABETH MARSHALL |
Elisabeth Marshall has been praised by OPERA NEWS for
her “radiant soprano” on the Brooklyn Art Song Society’s recent album
New Voices (Roven Records, 2015). Concert highlights include Messiah at
Chicago’s Symphony Center, Bach’s Mattëuspassion under Helmuth Rilling
(Oregon Bach Festival), Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia with CBE Raymond
Leppard (Indianapolis Symphony), and Mozart’s Requiem at Rochester
Cathedral (England). On the opera stage, she has been hailed for her
performances as the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s The Magic Flute in
London, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Elisetta in Il matrimonio segreto,
and Rosabella in The Most Happy Fella. Other engagements include the
Wexford Festival Opera, the London Philharmonia Chorus, and Carmel Bach
Festival. A Fulbright grant recipient to the HMT-Leipzig (Germany), Ms.
Marshall holds a Doctor of Music degree from Indiana University, where
she studied with Carol Vaness, and, in addition to her active performing
career, currently serves on the voice faculty at the University of
Southern Maine School of Music.
www.elisabethmarshall.com
FINALIST—HONORABLE MENTION: Exceptional Repertoire
DANA ZENOBI
Austin TX
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| DANA ZENOBI |
Winner of an Inspiration in Teaching Citation from
The American Prize (2014), Dana Zenobi is a versatile performer who
embraces traditional repertoire and new music. She has appeared in
concert with ensembles including Austin Civic Orchestra, San Gabriel
Chorale, and Austin Chamber Ensemble. On the operatic stage, she
appeared in Austin Opera’s American Premiere of Waiting for the
Barbarians (Philip Glass), and with Lyric Opera Cleveland in the first
production of Mark Adamo’s Little Women directed by Adamo. The Cleveland
Plain Dealer praised her “dazzling coloratura” and “irresitible
phrasing” as Mabel (The Pirates of Penzance). She has garnered similar
success in roles ranging from Mozart heroines to Verdi’s Violetta
Valéry. Dr. Zenobi joined the faculty at Southwestern University in
2007. She is executive director of BELTÀ (www.BELTA.org), a nonprofit
that supports emerging artists. She holds degrees from The University of
Texas at Austin (DMA and MM) and Duke University (BA).
www.danazenobi.com
CAREER ENCOURAGEMENT CERTIFICATE
TERESA WINNER BLUME
Needham MA
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| TERESA WINNER BLUME |
Teresa Winner Blume, lyric coloratura, performs
frequently in recital, oratorio, opera, musical theatre, and in
collaboration with composers of new works. She was recently featured in
the U.S. premiere of Lee Mingwei: Sonic Blossom at Boston’s Museum of
Fine Arts, singing Schubert lieder. Past performances include Brahms’
Ein Deutsches Requiem (Connecticut Choral Society; Brevard Music
Center), Carmina Burana (Canton Symphony Orchestra, Gerhardt Zimmermann,
conductor), and Le Nozze di Figaro conducted by Grant Llewellyn at the
North Carolina Symphony. Awards include New York Oratorio Society
Competition (semi-finalist, 2015), the Peter Elvins Competition
(semi-finalist, 2015); National Association of Teachers of Singing
Artist Awards (National semi-finalist, 2010), and the Jesse Kneisel
Lieder Award (Eastman School). She serves as Head of Voice at Walnut
Hill School for the Arts, as voice faculty at Gordon College, and
maintains a private studio. B.M. University of Illinois; M.M. and
Performer’s Certificate Eastman School of Music.
www.TeresaWinnerBlume.com
HONORABLE MENTION
KIRSTEN KUNKLE
Wilmington DE
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| KIRSTEN KUNKLE |
Kirsten C. Kunkle, soprano, originally from Fremont,
Ohio, currently resides in Wilmington, Delaware. Her recordings are
collected at the Library of Congress, the National Museum of the
American Indian at the Smithsonian Institution, and the Merkel Area
Museum in Merkel, Texas. She is on the list of Classical Native
American Artists and Musicians at the Smithsonian Institution’s National
Museum of the American Indian. She won the 2014 PA NATSAA competition,
became the youngest inductee into the Fremont Ross Music Hall of Fame in
2011, and recently made her solo Carnegie Hall debut. Some favorite
roles performed are Mimì (La bohème), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus) Iolanta
and Brigitta (Iolanta), Zemphira (Aleko), Lisa (Pique Dame), Foreign
Woman (The Consul), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Laetitia (The Old Maid
and the Thief), and the Witch (Hansel and Gretel). Her degrees are from
Bowling Green State University and University of Michigan.
www.kirstenckunkle.com
The American Prize in Vocal Performance (women in art song and oratorio), 2016
The Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Award
(college/university division)
The American Prize winner:
SAMANTHA SCHMID
Boston MA
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| SAMANTHA SCHMID |
Samantha Schmid, lyric soprano—dedicates herself to
exploring culture and communication. This season, Schmid makes her debut
with Juventas New Music Ensemble as Constance in the premiere of Leo
Hurley’s The Body Politic. She also appears as Donna Elvira with Opera
in the Ozarks. A champion of contemporary and Slavic music, Schmid has
recently performed with Russian Opera Workshop, Lowell House Opera, and
the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras. Previous engagements include Tina
(Flight), Iolanta (Iolanta), Liza (The Queen of Spades), Iphigénie
(Iphigénie en Tauride), The Fox (The Cunning Little Vixen), and Erste
Dame (Die Zauberflöte). Recognition for her artistry includes
inauguration into the Pi Kappa Lambda national music honor society and
multiple awards from NATS. A student of Dr. Kerry Deal, Schmid recently
received her Professional Studies Certificate and M.M. in vocal
performance from The Boston Conservatory. She also holds a B.A. from
Webster University. For more information, visit
www.samanthaschmid.com.
2nd PLACE:
OLIVIA BOEN
Chicago IL
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| OLIVIA BOEN |
Heralded as "someone to watch," soprano Olivia Boen
is currently in her third year of undergraduate studies at the Oberlin
Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Daune Mahy. As an opera
singer, she has performed such roles as Alcina in Oberlin Opera
Theatre's production of Handel's Alcina, Norina in Oberlin-In-Italy’s
production of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale and Lauretta in Puccini’s Gianni
Schicchi. Equally at home performing contemporary music, Olivia has
collaborated with composers Jesse Jones, Peter Kramer, and Shihui Yin.
Recent performance highlights include concerts in Siena, Cortona, and
Arezzo in Tuscany through the Oberlin-In-Italy program. She has
participated in masterclasses by such renowned artists as Renée Fleming,
Eric Owens, Nicole Cabell, and Enza Ferrari. Olivia has been selected
for the prestigious position as one of Opera Theater of St. Louis’
Gerdine Young Artists and will begin her work with the company in April
2016. More information can be found at
www.oliviaboen.com.
3rd PLACE:
SARAH LOVE TAYLOR
Winston-Salem NC
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| SARAH LOVE TAYLOR |
Sarah Love Taylor, mezzo-soprano, hails from
Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Her operatic credits include the title
role in Carmen (CCM Summer Opera), Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, The
Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance
(Greensboro Light Opera), and Sister Dolcina in Suor Angelica. She
debuted the role of Oscar the Cat, in Alejandro Rutty’s The Fight to be
Favorite (Greensboro Opera). Scene credits include Charlotte (Werther),
Nicklaus (Les contes d’Hoffmann), and Third Lady (The Magic Flute).
Sarah has appeared as a guest artist with Durham Symphony Orchestra,
Choral Society of Durham, Greensboro Oratorio Society, Concert Singers
of Cary, and Roanoke College Choir. She earned her BM and BA (French)
from UNC-Chapel Hill and her MM from UNC-Greensboro where she is
currently pursuing her DMA in Performance. She is the founding President
of the Student NATS chapter at UNC-Greensboro where she teaches Class
Voice, Lyric Diction, and Applied Voice.
www.sarahlovetaylor.com
The American Prize in Vocal Performance (women in art song and oratorio), 2016
The Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Award
(high school division)
The American Prize winner:
OLIVIA PRENDERGAST
Penn Valley PA
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| OLIVIA PRENDERGAST |
Olivia Prendergast is a senior attending Harriton
High School in Bryn Mawr, PA and had studied privately with tenor Paul
Spencer Adkins since 2012. In addition to directing Harriton’s a
cappella groups and appearing in their theater productions, she received
their school’s music award and scholarship for musical excellence.
Olivia has had lead roles in Wolf Performing Arts Center’s productions,
including Eve in “Children of Eden”, Ariel in “The Little Mermaid”, and
Beth in “Little Women”. Olivia was a semifinalist in the Art Song
Division of the Hal Leonard Vocal Competition, and was selected to
attend the Metropolitan Opera Guild High School Opera Singers'
Intensive. She also advanced to the semifinal round of the Classical
Singer Vocal Competition and was a finalist in their inaugural on-line
Summer Musical Theatre Vocal Competition. She is also active in her
church choir as both a member and lead cantor. Olivia will continue her
music training as a vocal performance major in the Bienen School of
Music as part of Northwetern’s Class of 2020, where she will be in the
studio of Sunny Joy Langton.
2nd PLACE:
LINA CHUNG
Buford GA
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| LINA CHUNG |
Lina Chung is a 17 year-old soprano from Buford,
Georgia, and is currently a senior at Mill Creek High School. She has
done notable achievements such as winning First Place at the Schmidt
Competition, being chosen as the soloist for Gounod's masterpiece
"Gallia" with the New Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra and Korean
community choir, winner of the GA Christian University Music Competition
(for Voice) being designated as an alumni at the Governor Honor's
Program 2015, 6A Literary State Champion for Girl's Solo, performing at
the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center with the New Atlanta Philharmonic
Orchestra as well as holding multiple recitals at the Korean Festival,
and 6 years of All State Chorus. She has also won scholarships and has
been recognized by Julliard professor Margo Garrett, Indiana University
professor Mary Ann Hart and opera singer Tamara Hardesty who graduated
from the Curtis School of Music. She aspires to major in Vocal
Performance and continue her craft throughout her lifetime. Nonetheless,
her unchanging aspiration is to sing for the glory of God.
3rd PLACE:
DALIA MEDOVNIKOV
Woodbridge CT
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| DALIA MEDOVNIKOV |
Dalia Medovnikov is a freshman in Amity High School,
Woodbridge, Connecticut. She has been singing since her early childhood.
Last summer she was accepted and participated in the Young Artists
Vocal Program at Boston University Tanglewood Institute. She just got
accepted to the same program again for this summer. In April of this
year she will be participating in the “Amber Nightingale” International
Art Song Competition in Kaliningrad, Russia.
SPECIAL CAREER ENCOURAGEMENT CITATION:
MARY ELIZABETH ADLER
Bellevue WA
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| MARY ELIZABETH ADLER |
Mary Elizabeth Adler, soprano, is a sophomore in high
school in Bellevue Washington. She has been studying classical voice
under Nancy Zylstra for over five years. She has won numerous awards in
classical vocal competitions locally, at the state level, and
nationally. She sings in the St. James Cathedral Young Women's Choir as
well as with the Seattle Opera's STUDIO Program. She also studies the
cello under Page Smith and is in her high school orchestra as well as in
a youth symphony. She is the Captain of her high school Varsity
Badminton team as well as the President of Biology club at school.
***
Congratulations!
