And the 2019 Jensen Competition Finalists Are...

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POSTED MAY 16, 2019 – NEW YORK, NY – After four days of preliminary auditions this week, finalists to the 2019 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition have been announced. They are:

  • Sydney Anderson | Soprano

  • Teresa Castillo | Soprano

  • Sylvia D'Eramo | Soprano

  • Mario Diaz-Moresco | Baritone

  • Leah Heater | Mezzo-Soprano

  • Helen Huang | Soprano

  • Jessica Johnson Brock | Mezzo-Soprano

  • Laura Leon | Soprano

  • Amy Owens | Soprano

  • Tyler Putnam | Bass

  • Timothy Renner | Baritone

  • Corrie Stallings | Mezzo-Soprano

  • Kenneth Stavert | Baritone

  • Olivia Vote | Mezzo-Soprano

These fourteen singers compete for more than $40,000 in awards this Saturday, May 18th 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:

Soprano Harolyn Blackwell has performed with opera companies and at festivals around the world. At the Metropolitan Opera, she has appeared in La Fille du Régiment, Un Ballo in Maschera, Le Nozze di Figaro, and more. 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.

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) and Royal Swedish Opera. His engagements include appearances with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden, Mariinsky Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic. Mr. de Kort is jury chairman of the highly popular Dutch TV show MAESTRO.

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. Mr. Powers has judged for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and has served on the Board of Directors of OPERA America.

More than 250 singers applied to perform in the 2019 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. One hundred three singers were heard, and these fourteen 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: Ms. Kirsten Chambers, soprano; Mr. Ben Leaptrott of Brenau University; and Mr. Oliver Worthington of Butler University. Read more about our Preliminary Judges.

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, 153 singers have received more than $700,000 in support.