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Lisa Gray 3/4/19 Lisa Gray 3/4/19

Meet Our 2019 Finals Judges

The 2019 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition Finals will be judged by this slate of internationally recognized opera professionals. Our Finals Judges have graciously agreed to offer feedback to all finalists who wish to stay after the competition on Saturday, May 18, 2019.

Soprano Harolyn Blackwell has performed with opera companies and at festivals around the world, including Lyric Opera of Chicago, Glyndebourne Festival, Teatro Colon de Buenos Aires, San Francisco Opera, Netherlands Opera, Seattle Opera, Opéra de Nice, Miami Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Aix-en-Provence Festival, Opera Orchestra of New York, New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival, and the Ravinia Festival. At the Metropolitan Opera, she has appeared in La Fille du Régiment, Un Ballo in Maschera, Le Nozze di Figaro, Manon, Die Fledermaus, and Werther. As an advocate for Arts Education, Miss Blackwell is a Board Member of The Metropolitan Opera Guild, The Voice Foundation, The Martina Arroyo Foundation, The George London Foundation, and The Morgan Library. She is a member of The Artists Committee for The Kennedy Center Honors and has also served on the Artists Selection Committee for The Marian Anderson Competition and The NEA Awards. To learn more, visit her website.

Maestro Vincent de Kort, born in the Netherlands, is in high demand with the world's leading opera houses and festivals, including Mariinsky Theatre St Petersburg (invited by Valery Gergiev), Royal Swedish Opera, Bolshoi Theatre Moscow, Oper Leipzig, Scottish Opera, Semperoper Dresden, New National Theatre Tokyo, Vienna’s Schönbrunn Festival, Edinburgh Festival and the Nelson Mandela Theatre in Johannesburg. In 1995, after a career as a cellist, he made his conducting debut with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. De Kort’s engagements include appearances with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden, Mariinsky Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Netherlands Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, Sinfonia Varsovia, New Japan Philharmonic. Having studied with Mariss Jansons in Oslo, he continued his studies in St. Petersburg with Ilya Musin and was the assistant conductor to Bernard Haitink, William Christie, and Gennady Rozhdestvensky. Mr. de Kort is jury chairman of the highly popular Dutch TV show MAESTRO. In addition to his performing career, de Kort is a passionate marathon runner. To learn more, visit his website.

William Powers is Managing Director at PittsburghOpera, having served earlier as Administrative Director for the Juilliard School’s Department of Vocal Arts and the Juilliard Opera Center. He subsequently joined the Metropolitan Opera’s Artistic Department as the Associate Administrator in the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and served in the Met’s Rehearsal Department. Mr. Powers was General Director of the Berkshire Opera Company and held posts at The Music Academy of the West and the Aspen Opera Theater Center. Mr. Powers has judged for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and has served on the Board of Directors of OPERA America. Mr. Powers holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Hamilton College and an MBA in Finance from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Business Administration. He is also an alumnus of the Juilliard School’s Professional Intern Program.

More information about our 2019 Vocal Competition:

Lisa Gray 2/18/19 Lisa Gray 2/18/19

Announcing our 2019 Slate of Preliminary-Round Judges

The Jensen Foundation recruits a talented and tireless group of opera professionals who hear the 100+ singers awarded auditions for the competition each year. These folks share the exciting and difficult responsibility of choosing performers for the Finals. Meet the singers and teachers who will be our Preliminary Judges for the 2019 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition.

Kirsten Chambers, soprano, has portrayed 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 joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in Tristan und Isolde and will rejoin the Metropolitan Opera roster next season for Die Walküre. She made her European debut with the Savonlinna Opera Festival as Elsa in Lohengrin, a role she also performed with Opéra de Rennes and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. Upcoming in Boston is a debut of her favorite Strauss role, Die Ägyptische Helena. 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 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.

Oliver Worthington, baritone, is an assistant professor of music at Butler University and will also teach at Opera Viva in Verona, Italy in the summer of 2019. He has performed extensively as an opera singer, oratorio soloist, and recitalist, appearing with San Antonio Opera, San Antonio Symphony, Austin Opera, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, among others. Dr. Worthington maintains a full schedule as an educator and performer and serves as the President of The Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation.

Meet our Accompanists for the 2019 Competition

At the Jensen Competition, we understand how the collaboration between singer and accompanist can make a performance shine. So we engage renowned accompanists and make them available, free-of-charge, to each of our auditioners. Meet our (your!) 2019 accompanists.

Shane Schag serves on the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music and at Operaworks in Los Angeles. He has worked in the capacity of vocal coach for Centro Studi Italiani Opera Festival and as an assistant conductor for the Gotham Chamber Opera. In 2007, Mr. Schag made his debut at Weill Recital Hall (Carnegie Hall), and now he serves as staff pianist for Carnegie Hall’s Musical Explorers concert series, which reaches out to public schools across the tri-state area. Mr. Schag earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the Ashland University of Ohio, a Master’s Degree in Collaborative Piano from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and a Professional Studies Certificate from the Manhattan School of Music. He will accompany Jensen singers on Monday, May 13.

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 Tuesday and Wednesday, May 14-15.

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 16, and on the Finals Day, Saturday, May 18.

Soprano Felicia Moore Takes First Place at 2018 Jensen Competition

MAY 26 2018 – NEW YORK CITY, NY – Today, the Fritz & Lavinia Jensen Foundation awarded Felicia Moore First Place in the 19th annual Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition in New York City. For the final day of the competition, Ms. Moore, a soprano, performed “L’altra notte in fondo al mare” from Arrigo Boito’s Mefistofele, “O smania!...D’Oreste d’Ajace” from Idomeneo by Mozart, and “Do not utter a word” from Samuel Barber’s Vanessa. Ms. Moore received $15,000 as first place winner.

Ms. Moore recently recently received her Artist Diploma in Opera Studies from The Julliard School. She will be traveling to France as a Resident in the Aix-en-Provence Festival's Mozart Académie, and then she will be in Germany as a participant of the International Meistersinger Akademie. Said Ms. Moore of her Jensen win, “I’m in shock and am honored to have won First Prize. This award will help me pay for lessons and coachings next year as I learn roles for upcoming seasons. I am very humbled and grateful to the Jensen Foundation for enabling me to continue my studies next year.” Visit Ms. Moore's website here.

Other 2018 Jensen award winners were baritone Emmett O’Hanlon (Second Place Award Winner - $10,000), bass-baritone Alex Soare (Third Place Award Winner - $7,500), and soprano Helena Brown (Munday Encouragement Award Winner - $3,000).

Additional finalists who performed in the 2018 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition were:

These singers distinguished themselves from a field of 112 auditioners and 254 applicants. Judges for the 2018 Jensen Finals were Ian Derrer, Lauren Flanigan, and Steven White (Read their bios here.) Judges for the Preliminary Rounds, held Monday-Thursday, were Ben Leaptrott (Brenau University), Carleen Graham (Houston Grand Opera), and Oliver Worthington (Butler University). The 2018 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition was held May 21-26 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, 138 singers have received more than $650,000 in support.

Lisa Gray 5/24/18 Lisa Gray 5/24/18

Finalists Announced for 2018 Jensen Competition

POSTED MAY 24, 2018 – NEW YORK, NY – After four days of preliminary auditions this week, finalists to the 2018 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition have been announced. They are:

These thirteen singers compete for more than $40,000 in awards this Saturday, May 26th 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 by a distinguished panel of Finals Judges:

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. Mr. Derrer holds degrees from the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, Northwestern University, and Brooklyn College.
Internationally acclaimed soprano Lauren Flanigan is the Founder of Music and Mentoring House which offers training and mentoring programs for opera singers in New York City. She has enjoyed a thirty-year career that includes performances at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Glyndebourne, 10 world premieres, 1 movie, 11 recordings, 5 Live From Lincoln Center telecasts, and 15 awards for musical and humanitarian work.
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, and many others. Maestro White is a master-class clinician and a frequent judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

More than 250 singers applied to perform in the 2018 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. Ninety-six singers were heard, and these thirteen finalists were selected. They compete for:

$15,000, First Place Award
$10,000, Second Place Award
$7,500, Third Place Award
$3,000, Munday Encouragement Award
Each non-award-winning finalist receives $750.

The Jensen Foundation thanks its judges for the preliminary rounds of the 2018 Competition: Mr. Ben Leaptrott of Brenau University; Ms. Carleen Graham of Houston Grand Opera; and Mr. Oliver Worthington of Butler University.