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Soprano Tessa McQueen Wins 2026 Jensen Competition
The Jensen Foundation has awarded soprano Tessa McQueen the First Place grant award in the 26th annual Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. Ms. McQueen receives $15,000 as First-Place grant winner.
Tessa McQueen, soprano
Saturday, May 23, 2026 — NEW YORK, NY – Today, the Jensen Foundation has awarded soprano Tessa McQueen the First Place grant award in the 26th annual Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. Ms. McQueen performed “Vissi d’arte” from Puccini’s Tosca and “What happened in Auschwitz” from Two Remain by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer. Ms. McQueen receives $15,000 as first-place grant winner. In addition, Ms. McQueen receives $5,000 as a co-winner of the Facing Forward grant award for the best performance of a 21st-century aria.
Ms. McQueen received her Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from Rice University, Shepherd School of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Oklahoma City University. Ms. McQueen is currently taking part in the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program with The Metropolitan Opera and she performs the role of Floria Tosca this summer in Wolf Trap Opera’s production of Tosca. To learn more, visit Ms. McQueen’s website.
The Jensen Foundation extends its congratulations to its additional 2026 Jensen grant award winners: tenor Matthew Sink (Second Place grant winner - $10,000); mezzo-soprano Theo Claveles (Third Place grant winner - $7, 500); mezzo-soprano Lindsay Martin and baritone Finn Sagal (co-winners of the Munday Encouragement Grant - $3,000 each); and mezzo-soprano Kara Morgan, co-winner of the Facing Foward grant for the best performance of a 21st-century aria.
These seven outstanding artists also advanced to the Finals Round of the 2026 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. Each receives a $750 grant award:
Véronique Filloux | Soprano
Symone Harcum | Soprano
Anna Kelly | Mezzo-Soprano
Celeste Morales | Soprano
Daniel Rich | Baritone
Jazmine Saunders | Soprano
Anna Thompson | Soprano
Finalists in the 2026 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition were accompanied by Jonathan Kelly.
2026 Jensen Finalists and Judges (L to R) - Celeste Morales, Finn Sagal, Kara Morgan, Theo Claveles, Matthew Sink, Judge Markus Beam, Tessa McQueen, Judge Kamala Sankaram, Judge Jayme Burzette, Symone Harcum, Véronique Filloux, Daniel Rich, Jazmine Saunders, Anna Kelly, Lindsay Martin, Anna Thompson.
Our 2026 Judges
The Jensen Foundation gratefully acknowledges the work of its panel of esteemed Finals Judges: Markus Beam, General Manager of San Francisco Opera Center; Jayme Burzette, Managing Director of Muse Artists International; and Dr. Kamala Sankaram, a member of the composition faculty at the Mannes College of Music and Artist-in-Residence with Minnesota Opera. Read more about our Finals Judges.
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, 475 singers have received more than $1 million in support.
And the 2026 Jensen Finalists are...
After four days of preliminary auditions, thirteen Finalists to the 2026 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition have been announced. They compete on Saturday, May 23, for more than $50,000 in grant awards.
POSTED May 21, 2026 – NEW YORK, NY – After four days of preliminary auditions this week, Finalists for the 2026 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition have been announced. They are:
Theo Claveles | Mezzo-Soprano
Véronique Filloux | Soprano
Symone Harcum | Soprano
Anna Kelly | Mezzo-Soprano
Lindsay Martin | Mezzo-Soprano
Tessa McQueen | Soprano
Celeste Morales | Soprano
Kara Morgan | Mezzo-Soprano
Daniel Rich | Baritone
Finn Sagal | Baritone
Jazmine Saunders | Soprano
Matthew Sink | Tenor
Anna Thompson | Soprano
These thirteen singers compete for more than $50,000 in grant awards this Saturday, May 23, at noon at Engelman Recital Hall, Baruch Performing Arts Center in New York City. The singers will be judged by a distinguished panel of opera professionals:
Markus Beam, San Francisco Opera Center
Jayme Burzette, Muse Artists International
Dr. Kamala Sankaram, Mannes College of Music
Read more about our 2026 Finals Judges.
The Jensen Foundation is grateful to have received applications from 242 talented singers interested in participating in the 2026 Vocal Competition. One hundred nine were invited to be heard, and these thirteen Finalists were selected. They compete for:
$15,000, First Place Grant Award
$10,000, Second Place Grant Award
$7,500, Third Place Grant Award
$3,000, Munday Encouragement Grant Award
$10,000, Facing Forward Grant Award for best performance of a 21st-century aria
Each non-award-winning Finalist receives a grant of $750.
The Jensen Foundation heartily thanks its judges for the preliminary rounds of the 2026 Competition: Ms. Kirsten Chambers, soprano; Mr. Ben Leaptrott of Brenau University; and Dr. Oliver Worthington II of Butler University. We are also grateful to our accompanists, Artyom Pak, Dan Franklin Smith and Jonathan Kelly, who performed with our singers this week.
The Finals event of the 2026 Jensen Competition is free and open to the public. Join us on Saturday, May 23, at noon at Baruch Performing Arts Center, 55 Lexington Avenue, New York City.
Meet our 2026 Finals Judges
The 2026 Jensen Competition Finals will be judged by a renowned slate of opera professionals: Markus Beam, Jayme Burzette, and Dr. Kamala Sankaram.
The 2026 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition Finals will be judged by this slate of well-known opera professionals. Our Finals Judges have graciously agreed to offer feedback to all finalists who wish to stay after the competition on Saturday, May 23, 2026. We are excited to welcome these opera luminaries to the Jensen family, and we are grateful to them for the expertise and encouragement they offer our 2026 finalists.
Markus Beam is the general manager of San Francisco Opera Center. He previously served as Vice-President and Artist Manager in the Vocal Division of IMG Artists where he worked with a diverse roster of artists encompassing both emerging artists and some of the most sought-after names in opera. During his performing career, Mr. Beam sang leading baritone roles with Rome’s Teatro dell’Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Oper Leipzig, among others, and he performed multiple times at Carnegie Hall and New York’s Lincoln Center. A graduate of Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts, Mr. Beam also holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music and the North Carolina School of the Arts. Having trained as a young artist at the Merola Opera Program, Santa Fe Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, and Wolf Trap Opera, he is particularly passionate about the development of emerging artists.
Jayme Burzette is the managing director of Muse Artists International. He began his career in marketing and development research at the Minnesota Orchestra and The Santa Fe Opera, after which he joined Columbia Artists Management. Mr. Burzette moved to the IMG Artists team in 2016 to support such esteemed musicians as Frederica von Stade, Susan Graham, Sasha Cooke, Jakub Józef Orliński, before becoming an artist manager. In addition to his role with Muse Artists International, Mr. Burzette has provided consulting services for Metropolitan Opera Radio (SiriusXM). Mr. Burzette holds a degree in Music Management from Luther College. Photo credit: Jonathan Tichler
Praised by The New York Times as “strikingly original,” Dr. Kamala Sankaram moves freely between the worlds of experimental music, sound installation, and contemporary opera. As a biracial Indian-American and trained sitarist, Dr. Sankaram has drawn on Indian classical music in many of her works, including Thumbprint, A Rose, Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers, and The Jungle Book. Known for pushing the boundaries of form and style, she has created work for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden as 2023 Artist-in-Residence. She has been commissioned by the Minnesota Opera (where she is currently a Composer-in-Residence), the Glimmerglass Festival (as 2022 Artist-in-Residence), Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, the PROTOTYPE Festival, and Creative Time, among others. Dr. Sankaram holds a Ph.D. from the New School and is currently a member of the composition faculty at the Mannes College of Music. Learn more about Dr. Sankaram on her website.
Meet our 2026 Jensen Accompanists
The Jensen Competition is pleased to welcome three of New York's finest collaborative pianists to accompany our 2026 auditioners.
When the Jensen Competition grants auditions, we offer singers the option to perform with professional accompanists we make available at no charge. We are delighted to work with three of New York’s finest collaborators!
Artyom Pak has performed in the U.S., Europe, and Central Asia as both a soloist and collaborative pianist. Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, he played his first solo recital at the age of 9. After graduating from Uspensky Lyceum, Mr. Pak received a full scholarship to study at Mannes School of Music in New York, where he pursued his undergraduate and master’s degrees. In 2022, he received the professional studies diploma in vocal collaborative piano from Manhattan School of Music. Mr. Pak served as a piano fellow with The Juilliard School's Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts. He currently serves as director of Apprentice Artists Program and a member of music staff at Sarasota Opera as well as seasonal staff pianist at The Juilliard School. Learn more by visiting his website. Mr. Pak will accompany singers scheduled to audition Monday, May 18. Photo by Nikolai Sirin.
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 singers scheduled to audition Tuesday and Wednesday, May 19-20.
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, Nadine Sierra, 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. Mr. Kelly will accompany singers scheduled to audition on Thursday, May 21, and at the Finals Competition on Saturday, May 23. Photo by Jonthan Tichler.
More About the 2026 Jensen Competition
Meet our 2026 Preliminary Judges
We are pleased to welcome these esteemed opera professionals as the Preliminary Judges for our 2026 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition.
The 2026 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition is pleased to welcome once again these esteemed music professionals as Preliminary Judges, hearing our auditioners May 18-21, 2026.
Kirsten Chambers, soprano, is most known for her portrayal of the title role of Salome, which she performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Opera Hong Kong, Florida Grand Opera, and most recently at San Diego Opera. She made her Carnegie Hall debut singing Maria in Strauss’ Friedenstag with the American Symphony Orchestra. At the Metropolitan Opera, she covered leading and supporting roles, including Isolde in Tristan und Isolde, Helmwige in Die Walküre, and Marie in Wozzeck. Internationally, she debuted as Elsa in Lohengrin at the Savonlinna Opera Festival, reprising the role at the Hong Kong Arts Festival and Opéra de Rennes. Regional opera engagements include the Angel in Angels in America for New York City Opera. In Boston, Ms. Chambers performed the Infantin in Der Zwerg, the title role in Strauss’ Die ägyptische Helena, and Mrs. Poe in The Voyage of Edgar Allen Poe with Odyssey Opera. Photo by Dario Acosta.
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 acclaimed as an opera singer, oratorio soloist, and recitalist, having performed with such presenters as Indianapolis Opera, Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony, San Antonio Opera, San Antonio Symphony. A champion of living composers, he premieres and commissions new works to include diverse representation and visibility in the art song repertoire. His most recent commission was for Last Summer on Neptune, a collaboration with Matthew Ricketts and Mark Campbell. Dr. Worthington is the Vocal Area Coordinator and the Producing Director of Butler Opera Theatre at Butler University. He maintains a full schedule as an educator and performer and serves as the President of The Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation, a component fund of Foundation For The Carolinas. Dr. Worthington received degrees from Converse College, The New England Conservatory of Music, and The University of Texas at Austin. He collaborated with his Butler colleague Dr. Dana Zenobi to create the award-winning recording Joys Abiding; Soprano and Baritone Duets by Historical Women Composers at Navona Records, a division of PARMA Recordings. They published an annotated anthology of the scores using the same title through Classical Vocal Reprints.