Meet our 2025 Finals Judges

The 2025 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition Finals will be judged by this slate of opera professionals. Our Finals Judges have graciously agreed to offer feedback to all finalists who wish to stay after the competition on Saturday, May 17, 2025. We are grateful to Mr. Eberhard, Ms. Gandhi, and Ms. Lippiello for the expertise and encouragement they offer our 2025 finalists.

Michael Eberhard is the Director of Casting & Artistic Administration at Opera Philadelphia, a position he has held since 2009. He is also the Casting Advisor for the Spoleto Festival USA. Previously, he worked at the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Orchestra. A trained opera singer, Mr. Eberhard has performed with such companies as Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Utah Festival Opera, and Glimmerglass Opera. He received his Bachelor of Music Degree from the Eastman School of Music and his Masters of Music degree from New England Conservatory, where he studied with Edward Zambara. Mr. Eberhard moved to Philadelphia to attend the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts studying with Joanna Levy. He has judged many competitions including the Marcello Giordani International Voice Competition, the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Greenfield Competition, and Astral Artists Voice Competition. Learn more about Opera Philadelphia and the Spoleto Festival USA.

Priti Gandhi is a leader in opera administration, innovative casting, and a passionate artist advocate in the field. In 2023, she joined the artistic department of the Metropolitan Opera as Associate Director of the Laffont Competition. After a long international opera career that included performances with companies like Seattle Opera, Théâtre du Châtelet, UNAM in Mexico City, the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, she transitioned into artistic administration with San Diego Opera, Minnesota Opera, and Portland Opera. She is a sought-after audition master class instructor and guest lecturer with schools like the New England Conservatory, The Julliard School, Mannes School of Music, and the University of California at San Diego. Learn more about the Laffont Competition.

Cory Lippiello, CSA is the Director of Artistic Programs at Lyric Opera of Chicago, where she prepares principal artist casting for Lyric's mainstage operas, musicals, and outreach programming. In addition, she is the Emmy Award-winning producer of Lyric's filmed streaming projects and an integral member of the team developing new opera commissions and other special presentations. During a career that spans over thirty years as a producer and administrator, Ms. Lippiello has held significant positions with New York City Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, The Atlanta Opera, the New York Philharmonic, IMG Artists, OPERA America, and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. She is a sought-after speaker on the topics of artistic planning and casting, and she has been honored to serve multiple times as an adjudicator for the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition and as a grant review panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. A recipient of two Artios Awards for casting musical theater at Lyric, Ms. Lippiello is the first casting director from the opera world to become a member of the Casting Society of America. Learn more about Lyric Opera of Chicago.

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Meet our 2025 Preliminary Judges

The 2025 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition is pleased to welcome once again these esteemed music professionals as Preliminary Judges, hearing our auditioners May 12-15, 2025.

Kirsten Chambers, soprano, has sung the title role of Salome at the Metropolitan Opera, Opera Hong Kong, and Florida Grand Opera. Her Carnegie Hall debut was Maria in Richard Strauss’ Friedenstag with the American Symphony Orchestra. She first joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera as a cover of Isolde in Tristan und Isolde and rejoined the Metropolitan Opera roster in the 2016-17 season for Die Walküre and to cover Marie in Wozzeck in 2019-20. Abroad, she has sung Elsa in Lohengrin with the Savonlinna Opera Festival, Opéra de Rennes, and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. Favorite engagements include Erwartung with The Orchestra Now, Strauss’ Die Ägyptische Helena with Odyssey Opera, and as the Angel in Angels in America for New York City Opera. Ms. Chambers earned degrees from Illinois Wesleyan University and the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston. Visit her website to learn more.

R. Benjamin “Ben” Leaptrott, Jr. is assistant professor of music with a specialty in collaborative arts at Brenau University and also an Artist in Residence at Brenau with The Leaptrott Trio. He is an active recitalist, vocal coach, and accompanist, serving as accompanist for the district and regional Metropolitan Opera Auditions. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from East Carolina University, a Masters of Music Degree from Eastman School of Music, and a Solo Diploma from Sweelinck Academy at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. Mr. Leaptrott is Vice President of the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Fund, a component fund of Foundation For The Carolinas.

Dr. Oliver Worthington II, baritone, is an Assistant Professor of Music and Coordinator of the Voice Area at Butler University. He also serves as the producing director of Butler Opera Theater. He has recently been featured on recordings of Lord, How Come We Here? and Joys Abiding on Parma Recordings. He performs extensively as an opera singer, oratorio soloist, and recitalist, appearing regionally with Indianapolis Opera, South Texas Lyric Opera, San Antonio Opera, San Antonio Symphony, Hill Country Lyric, Austin Opera and Lone Star Lyric in diverse roles- from Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus to Mamma Agatha in Viva la Mamma. Dr. Worthington maintains a full schedule as an educator and performer, and he serves as the President of The Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Fund, a component fund of Foundation For The Carolinas.

More About the 2025 Jensen Competition

• Meet the Finals Judges

• Meet the Accompanists

• Competition FAQ

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Meet our 2025 Jensen Accompanists

When the Jensen Competition grants auditions, we offer singers the option to perform with professional accompanists we make available at no charge. Once again this year, we are privileged to welcome back two of New York’s finest collaborators!

Jonathan Kelly is an assistant conductor at The Metropolitan Opera. He has worked in a similar capacity at the San Francisco Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Opera Theater of Lucca, and the Chautauqua Institution. Frequently seen in concert, Mr. Kelly has appeared with many of today’s leading performers, including Placido Domingo, Renée Fleming, Elina Garanča, Susan Graham, Hei-Kyung Hong, Ana María Martínez, Anna Netrebko, Ramon Vargas, and Rolando Villazon. Formerly a lecturer at Yale University, he is now a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music. Mr. Kelly graduated summa cum laude from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and continued his studies at the Manhattan School of Music. Jonathan will accompany singers scheduled to audition on Monday - Tuesday, May 12-13.

Dan Franklin Smith is a vocal coach and collaborative pianist based in New York City. He served for 10 years as Music Director and recital soloist with the international festival Elysium: Between-Two-Continents, performing in Europe and the United States. Mr. Smith graduated as a piano major from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. To learn more, visit his website. Dan will accompany singers scheduled to audition Wednesday-Thursday, May 14-15, and for the Finals Competition on Saturday, May 17.

More About the 2025 Jensen Competition

• Meet the Finals Judges

• Meet the Preliminary Judges

• Competition FAQ

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Jensen Competition Celebrates 25th Anniversary with New Singer Award

UPDATED MARCH 17, 2025 – The Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition is celebrating its 25th anniversary by offering a new award at its May competition: the $10,000 Facing Forward Award. Said Jensen President Dr. Oliver Worthington III, “The Jensen Foundation is proud to celebrate 25 years of supporting singers and the opera art form. To more deeply support Mrs. Jensen's love of opera, we're looking to the future (even as we celebrate our 25-year history), and that future is full of new works. Our Facing Forward Award will go to the 2025 Finalist who offers the best performance of an aria written in the 21st century. This award will be an addition to our First, Second, Third, and Encouragement Awards, so one singer could win as much as $25,000 this year.”

The 2025 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition takes place May 12-17, 2025, at Baruch Performing Arts Center in New York City. Judges will hear 100 singers in the preliminary round of auditions and choose twelve singers to compete in the Final Round of the competition at noon on Saturday, May 17.

Singers auditioning for the 2025 Jensen Competition will prepare five operatic arias: one in Italian, one in French, one in German, one in English, and a fifth in the language of their choice. At least one of the five arias must have been composed after 2000.

2025 Finalists compete for:

• First Place - $15,000

• Second Place - $10,000

• Facing Forward Award - $10,000

• Third Place - $7,500

• Munday Encouragement Award - $3,000

• Remaining finalists win $750

While the 2025 application window has closed, readers can learn about eligibility requirements here.

About the Fritz & Lavinia Jensen Foundation

The Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation, a Donor Advised Fund of Foundation For The Carolinas, was established by Lavinia Jensen in honor of her late husband, Fritz. Their lifelong love for the arts has benefited many musicians and musical organizations. The Foundation continues their philanthropic passion for the musical arts by supporting young artists pursuing a career in opera. The centerpiece of The Jensen Foundation’s work is the annual Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. Since the Competition’s inception in 2000, 446 singers have received more than $930,000 in support.

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For Singers Looking for Operas Composed After 2000...

UPDATED March 26, 2025 — For the Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, singers must offer one aria composed after 2000. As a jumpstart on that aria search, below is a non-definitive list of operas composed after 2000.

Special thanks to Mark Campbell for his invaluable assistance adding librettists to this list. And thanks to Deborah Brevoort, who alerts us to the Aria Access Project, a free hub of downloadable contemporary aria sheet music written by alumni of American Lyric Theater’s Composer Librettist Development Program. If you know of more 21st-century operas, composers, and librettists we should add to this list, please contact Jensen Competition Director Lisa V. Gray.

• 27, Gordon | Vavrek (2014)

• A Coffin in Egypt, Gordon | Foglia (2014)

• A Flowering Tree, Adams | Sellars and Adams (2006)

• A Metamorphosis, Christmas (2018)

• A Nearer Mother, Mack | McGuire (2022)

• A Pregnant Pause, Baxter | Rozsnyai (2024)

• A Wedding, Bolcom | Altman & Weinstein (2004)

• The Adventures of Pinocchio, Dove | Middleton (2007)

• After Life, Cipullo | Mason (2015)

• Ainadamar, Golijov | Hwang (2003)

• Alice, An Operatic Wonderland, Scurria | Corriher (2022)

• Alice in Wonderland, Chin | Whang and Chin (2004)

• The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Bates | Scheer (2024)

• An American Dream, Perla | Murphy-Moo (2015)

• An American Soldier, Ruo | Hwang (2018)

• Anna Hunter, Ching (2017)

• Anna Nicole, Turnage | Thomas (2011)

• Another City, Beck | Fleischmann (2023)

• Another Sunrise, Heggie | Scheer (2012)

• Arkhipov, Knell | Fleischmann (2022)

• As One, Kaminsky | Campbell and Reed (2014)

• At the Statue of Venus, Heggie | McNally (2005)

• Bastianello, Musto | Campbell (2008)

• Before Night Falls, Martin | Martin and Koch (2010)

• Bel Canto, López | Cruz (2015)

• Blind Injustice, Richards | Cote (2019)

• Blue, Tesori | Thompson (2019)

• Breaking the Waves, Mazzoli | Vavrek (2016)

• Castor and Patience, Spears | Smith (2022)

• Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, Schnyder | Wimberly (2015)

• Cold Mountain, Higdon | Scheer (2015)

• Cold Sassy Tree, Floyd (2000)

• The Companion, Paterson | Cote (2014)

• The Cows of Apollo, Theofanidis | Hoffman (2001)

• Crossing, Aucoin (2015)

• Dark Sisters, Muhly | Karam (2011)

• Dead Man Walking, Heggie | McNally (2000)

• Dinner at Eight, Bolcom | Campbell (2017)

• Dog Days, Little | Vavrek (2015)

• Dolores Claiborne, Picker | McClatchy (2013)

• Doctor Atomic, Adams | Sellars (2005)

• Dream of the Red Chamber, Sheng | Sheng and Hwang (2016)

• El Niño, Adams (2000)

• El último sueño de Frida y Diego, Frank | Cruz (2021)

• The Eleanors, Goble | Ching (2024)

• Elizabeth Cree, Puts | Campbell (2017)

• Elmer Gantry, Aldridge | Garfein (2007)

• Embedded, Soluri | Brevoort (2014)

• Empty the House, Orth | Campbell (2019)

• The Enchanted Pig, Dove | Middleton (2006)

• Escobar, Neri | Martinez (2017)

• Eurydice, Aucoin | Ruhl (2020)

• The Exterminating Angel, Adès | Cairns (2016)

• Factotum, Liverman | DJ King Rico (2023)

• The Falling and the Rising, Redler | Dye (2018)

• Fellow Travelers, Spears | Pierce (2007)

• Fire Shut Up in my Bones, Blanchard | Lemmons (2019)

• For a Look or a Touch, Heggie | Scheer (2007)

• Garden of the Finzi Continis, Gordon | Korie (2022)

  Glory Denied, Cipullo (2007)

  The Grapes of Wrath, Gordon | Korie (2007)

• Great Scott, Heggie | McNally (2015)

• Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom, Okoye (2014)

• Having Guests for Dinner, Bentz | Feng (2020)

• Home of my Ancestors, Okoye | Gonzalez (2017)

• The Hours, Puts | Pierce (2022)

• House of Orfeus, Ford | Ford (2024)

• House Without a Christmas Tree, Gordon | Vavrek (2017)

• I Have No Stories To Tell You, Beecher | Moscovitch (2014)

• If I Were You, Heggie | Scheer (2019)

• Il Postino, Catán (2010)

• The Impresario and the Dueling Divas, Christman (2021)

• The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace, Sankaram | Handel (2019)

• Intelligence, Heggie | Scheer (2023)

• Intimate Apparel, Gordon | Nottage (2020)

• Iron Road, Chan | Brownell (2001)

• It's A Wonderful Life, Heggie | Scheer (2016)

• JFK, Little | Vavrek (2016)

• John Brown, Mechem (2008)

• Josephine, Cipullo (2016)

• The Knock, Vrebalov | Brevoort (2021)

• Later the Same Evening, Musto | Campbell (2007)

• The Listeners, Mazzoli | Vavrek (2022)

• The Little Prince, Portman | Wright (2003)

• The Lord of Cries, Corigliano | Adamo (2021)

• Lucy, Cipullo (2009)

• Lyrics of Sunshine and Shadows, Allen (2022)

• Lysistrata, Adamo | Adamo (2006)

• M. Butterfly, Rho | Hwang (2022)

• Madeline Lee, Haddock | Campbell (2004)

• The Manchurian Candidate, Puts | Campbell (2015)

• Margaret Garner, Danielpour | Morrison (2005)

• Marnie, Muhly | Wright (2018)

• Mayo, Cipullo (2018)

• Moby-Dick, Heggie | Scheer (2010)

• Mother Goose, Jarrar (2019)

• Murasaki’s Moon, Wiancko | Brevoort (2019)

• Naga, Wheeler | Jacobs (2016)

• Old Man and the Sea, Prestini | Vavrek (2024)

• Omar, Giddens | Abels (2022)

• Oscar, Morrison | Morrison and Cox (2015)

• Our Town, Rorem | McClatchy (2006)

• Ours, Estacio | Chafe (2016)

• Out of Darkness (Two Remain), Heggie | Scheer (2016)

• Outside, Blaskie | Christenfeld (2019)

• Patience & Pearl, Jarrar | Goodwin (2016)

• Penny, Pew | Weinburg (2015)

• Plastic Flowers, MacDowell | MacDowell (2014)

• prisoner of the state, Lang (2019)

• Proving Up, Mazzoli | Vavrek (2018)

• Quamino’s Map, Wallen | Brevoort (2022)

• Rappahannock County, Gordon | Campbell (2011)

• Rattensturm, Wold (2018)

• Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt, Musto | Einhorn (2016)

• The Rift, Ruo | Hwang (2022)

• Rise for Freedom: The John P. Parker Story, Hailstork | Gonazlez (2007)

• The Rivals, Mechem (2011)

• Roscoe, Mack | McGuire (2014)

• Scalia/GInsburg, Wang | Wang (2014)

• Schiele in Prison, Schwartz | Comini (2025)

• Service Provider, Weiss | DeSantos (2015)

• Silent Night, Puts | Campbell (2011)

• Soldier Songs, Little | Little (2006)

• Song of the Nightingale, DeSpain | Tien (2023)

• The Song Poet, Hagen | Yang (2023)

• Speed Dating Tonight!, Ching (2013)

• Steal a Pencil for Me, Cohen | Brevoort (2018)

• Tabula Rasa, Jarrar | Goodwin (2018)

• Taking Up Serpents, Sankaram | Dye (2019)

• Tea: a mirror of soul, Dun | Ying (2002)

• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Talbot | Scheer (2020)

• The Long Walk, Beck | Fleischmann (2015)

• The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, Bates | Campbell (2017)

• The Scarlet Letter, Laitman | Mason (2008)

• The Secret River, Sung | Campbell (2021)

• The Silk City, Santelli (2019)

• The Tell Tale Heart, Jarrar (2021)

• The Tempest, Adès | Oakes (2004)

• The Transformation of Jane Doe, Garrop | Dye (2020)

• Thérèse Raquin, Picker | Scheer (2001)

• Three Decembers, Heggie | Scheer (2008)

• Three Way, Paterson | Cote (2017)

• Thumbprint, Sankaram | Yankowitz (2014)

• To Hell and Back, Heggie | Scheer (2006)

• Touch, Lucero | Newirth (2024)

• Treemonisha (Reimagined), Sneed | Chilton (2023)

• Triangle, Solitro (2019)

• Triângulo, Bejerano | Manich (2024)

• Two Remain, Heggie | McNally (2016)

• Uncovered, Laitman | Lax (2020)

• We, The Innumerable, Nourbakhsh (2019)

• When Adonis Calls, Borzoni | DeSantos (2014)

• Written on Skin, Benjamin | Crimp (2012)

• The Yellow Wallpaper, Tobias (2019)

• you do not recognize the bodies in the water, Jarrar | Feng (2022)

• Zorro, Armienta (2022)

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