News

Lisa Gray 4/27/18 Lisa Gray 4/27/18

Meet Our 2018 Finals Judges

The Jensen Foundation thanks the esteemed opera professionals who served as Finals Judges for its 2018 Vocal Competition, held Saturday, May 26 2018 in Engelman Recital Hall at New York City's Baruch Performing Arts Center.

Ian Derrer
In July 2018, Ian Derrer returns to The Dallas Opera as general director after two seasons at the helm of Kentucky Opera. He has served in production and administrative roles with Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Atlanta Opera, Opera Carolina, and New York City Opera, among others. His love of opera began as a member of the children’s chorus in Tosca for Charlotte Opera, now Opera Carolina. Mr. Derrer holds degrees from the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, Northwestern University, and Brooklyn College.

Lauren Flanigan
Internationally acclaimed soprano Lauren Flanigan is the Founder/Director of Music and Mentoring House, a not-for-profit organization that offers training and mentoring programs for opera singers in New York City. She has enjoyed a thirty-year career that included performances at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Bayerisches Staatsoper, Glyndebourne, the New York City Opera, 10 world premieres, 1 movie, 11 cd’s, 5 Live From Lincoln Center telecasts, and 15 awards for musical and humanitarian work, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation.

Steven White
Praised by Opera News as a conductor who “squeezes every drop of excitement and pathos from the score,” Steven White is one of North America’s premiere conductors of both symphonic and operatic repertoire. He has conducted the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Moscow Philharmonic, the Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the New World Symphony Orchestra, the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and London’s Philharmonia Orchestra for a CHANDOS recording of arias. Maestro White is a master-class clinician and a frequent judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He has served as an artist-in-residence with Peabody Conservatory, Indiana University, University of Cincinnati—College-Conservatory of Music, Virginia Tech University, and the University of Miami Frost School of Music at Salzburg.

Lisa Gray 2/21/18 Lisa Gray 2/21/18

Accompanists Announced for the 2018 Jensen Competition

The Jensen Foundation is pleased to announce the acclaimed musicians who will be available to accompany singers for the 2018 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition May 21-26, 2018: Jonathan Kelly and Dan Franklin Smith. Read more about Jonathan and Dan...

At the Jensen Competition, we want singers to be at their best. So we engage renowned accompanists and make them available, free-of-charge, to each of our auditioners. We are pleased to welcome back acclaimed accompanists Jonathan Kelly and Dan Franklin Smith for the 2018 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition.

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 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. He will accompany Jensen singers on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, May 21-24.

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. Mr. Smith will accompany Jensen singers on Thursday, May 24, and on the Finals Day, Saturday, May 26.

Lisa Gray 1/8/18 Lisa Gray 1/8/18

Apply Now to Be Part of the 2018 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition

The Fritz & Lavinia Jensen Foundation is now accepting online applications from opera professionals 25-35 years of age for the 2018 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. Singers can apply at Yaptracker.com to compete for their share of more than $40,000 in prize money. The annual competition takes place May 21-26, 2018 at the Baruch Performing Arts Center in New York City.

The Foundation expects 100 singers to audition for the chance to sing in the final competition on Saturday, May 26, 2018 and compete for these awards:

First place - $15,000
Second place - $10,000
Third place - $7,500
Munday Encouragement Award - $3,000 and automatic entry in the 2019 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition
All remaining finalists will receive $750.

The Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition is open to opera singers who meet the following eligibility requirements:

must NOT be a previous first-, second-, or third-place award winner of the Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition;
must be a permanent legal resident of the United States for at least one year prior to May 21, 2018;
must be between the ages of 25 and 35 as of May 21, 2018;
must not be a past or current recipient of a contract for a principal role with an OPERA America Budget Level I company or its international equivalent. Cover, chorus, and comprimario roles with Level 1 companies are acceptable.

Singers can complete an online application at Yaptracker.com. The deadline for entry is Sunday, March 18, 2018.

About the Fritz & Lavinia Jensen Foundation
Fritz and Lavinia Jensen were lifelong supporters of the arts who benefited many musicians and musical organizations during their lives. The Jensen Foundation is dedicated to continuing their philanthropic vision of support for the musical arts. The centerpiece of the Foundation’s efforts, the annual Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, supports young artists pursuing a career in opera. Since the Competition’s inception in 2000, 126 young singers have received more than a $580,000 in support.

Lisa Gray 5/21/17 Lisa Gray 5/21/17

Countertenor Andrey Nemzer Wins 18th Annual Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition

NEW YORK CITY, NY -- On Saturday, May 20, 2017, the Fritz & Lavinia Jensen Foundation awarded Andrey Nemzer First Place in the 18th annual Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition in New York City. For the final day of the competition, Mr. Nemzer, a countertenor, performed “Empio Diro Tu Sei” from George Frideric Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto and “Dawn, Still Darkness” from Flight by Jonathan Dove. As the winner of the competition, Mr. Nemzer received $15,000.

"I feel very excited to win the Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, because of its outstanding reputation and because of the amazing financial and creative aid I've received as a result of this victory," said Mr. Nemzer. "The monetary prize will help me make one of my dreams to become true: to record a CD of Rachmaninoff art song cycles. Receiving great support from a foundation like the Jensen Foundation helps keep my faith in the brighter future of this beautiful art."

A native of Moscow, Russia, Mr. Nemzer began his studies at Moscow Choir College, after which he became a touring soloist with the Moscow Boys Choir under the direction of Victor Popov. He earned an Artist Diploma from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. Mr. Nemzer frequently collaborates with renowned Russian instrumental and vocal ensembles including the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra and Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra. In the United States, he is a principal soloist with The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and frequently appears with the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh Summerfest.

Other 2017 Jensen award winners were bass-baritone Christian Pursell (Second Award Winner - $10,000), bass-baritone André Courville ($7,500), and mezzo-soprano Hannah Ludwig (Munday Encouragement Award Winner - $3,000).

(L-R) Christian Pursell, Andre Courville, Hannah Ludwig

These singers distinguished themselves from a field of 102 auditioners and 274 applicants. Judges for the 2017 Finals were F. Paul Driscoll, Rosalind Elias, and Michael Heaston. (Read their bios.) Judges for the Preliminary Rounds, held Monday-Thursday, were Jensen Foundation Trustees Jane Pardue, Ben Leaptrott, and Oliver Worthington. The 2017 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition was held May 15-20 in the Engelman Recital Hall at Baruch Performing Arts Center in New York City.

About the Fritz & Lavinia Jensen Foundation
The Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit foundation, established by Lavinia Jensen in honor of her late husband, Fritz Jensen. 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, and including this year’s award winners, 129 singers have received more than $610,000 in support.

Lisa Gray 5/19/17 Lisa Gray 5/19/17

Finalists Announced for the 2017 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition

NEW YORK, NY – After four days of preliminary auditions this week, finalists to the 2017 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition have been announced. They are:

The Finals of the 2017 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition will be held Saturday, May 20th at 1 PM at Engelman Recital Hall, Baruch Performing Arts Center, 55 Lexington Avenue, New York. The event is free and open to the public, and the winners will be named at the conclusion of the event.

More than 270 singers applied to perform in the 2017 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. One hundred two singers were heard, and these twelve finalists were selected. They will compete for more than $40,000 in awards, including:

•   $15,000 for the First Place Winner
•   $10,000 for the Second Place Winner
•   $7,500 for the Third Place Winner
•   $3,000 for the Munday Encouragement Award winner

The Jensen Foundation has assembled a distinguished roster of judges for the 2017 Finals Competition. They are:

•   F. Paul Driscoll has been Editor-in-Chief of OPERA NEWS since 2003. He has served as a lecturer at such institutions as the Art Song Festival at Baldwin-Wallace College, the Metropolitan Opera Club, the Wagner Society of New York, and the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s “Singers Studio” interview series. In 2016, he received an honorary doctorate from Manhattan School of Music.
•   Rosalind Elias is one of the finest singing-actresses of our time. She has performed leading roles with distinction with premier opera companies throughout the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Vienna State Opera, and Paris Opera. Ms. Elias is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music with an Honorary Doctorate of Music.
•   Michael Heaston is Executive Director of the prestigious Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera. Mr. Heaston has presented master classes at numerous conservatories and universities, including The Juilliard School, University of Michigan, University of Maryland, University of North Texas, and Miami Summer Music Festival. He also serves on the Singer Training and New Works Forums for Opera America.

About the Fritz & Lavinia Jensen Foundation
The Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit foundation, established by Lavinia Jensen in honor of her late husband, Fritz Jensen. 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, and including this year’s award winners, 126 singers have received more than $610,000 in support.