Meet our 2026 Finals Judges

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.

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Meet our 2026 Jensen Accompanists

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 the Preliminary Judges

• Competition FAQ

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Meet our 2026 Preliminary Judges

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.

More About the 2026 Jensen Competition

• Meet the Accompanists

• Competition FAQ

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Application Now Live To Compete in the 26th Annual Jensen Competition

POSTED 20 Dec 2025 – The Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition is pleased to announce it is now accepting applications to compete in the 2026 competition taking place May 18-23, at Baruch Performing Arts Center in New York City. Judges will hear 100 singers in the Preliminary Round and choose twelve singers to compete in the Final Round of the competition at noon on Saturday, May 23.

Singers auditioning for the 2026 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.

2026 Finalists compete for:

• First Place - $15,000

• Second Place - $10,000

• Facing Forward Award - $10,000 (for the finest performance of a 21st-century aria)

• Third Place - $7,500

• Munday Encouragement Award - $3,000

• Remaining finalists win $750

The application deadline is Sunday, March 15, 2026, and readers can learn about 2026 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, 461 singers have received more than $985,000 in support.

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All the Arias Sung at the 2025 Competition

At the 2025 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, our judges heard a wide variety of arias. For those seeking inspiration for new arias — or just curious about what was offered! - we are pleased to share the full list.

• The list in downloadable-and-searchable Excel

• The list as an easy-to-print PDF

And for an additional resource for those seeking new works, here’s a partial list of operas composed since 2000.

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