And the 2025 Jensen Finalists are...
POSTED May 15, 2025 – NEW YORK, NY – After four days of preliminary auditions this week, Finalists for the 2025 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition have been announced. They are:
Patrick Bessenbacher | Tenor
Brennan Blankenship | Soprano
Sadie Cheslak | Mezzo-Soprano
Charles Eaton | Baritone
Cara Gabrielson | Soprano
Maggie Kinabrew | Soprano
Julia Laird | Soprano
Winona Martin | Mezzo-Soprano
Victoria McGrath | Soprano
Virginia Mims | Soprano
Celeste Morales | Soprano
Joseph Park | Bass-Baritone
Abigail Raiford | Soprano
Zaikuan Song | Bass
Esther Tonea | Soprano
These fifteen singers compete for more than $50,000 in grant awards this Saturday, May 17, 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:
Michael Eberhard, Opera Philadelphia
Priti Gandhi, Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition
Cory Lippiello, Lyric Opera of Chicago
Read more about our 2025 Finals Judges.
The Jensen Foundation is grateful to have received applications from more than 245 talented singers interested in participating in the 2025 Vocal Competition. One hundred four were invited to be heard, and these fifteen 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 2025 Competition: Ms. Kirsten Chambers, soprano; Mr. Ben Leaptrott of Brenau University; and Dr. Oliver Worthington of Butler University. We are also grateful to our accompanists, Dan Franklin Smith and Jonathan Kelly, who performed with our singers this week.
The Finals event of the 2025 Jensen Competition is free and open to the public. Join us on Saturday, May 17, at noon at Baruch Performing Arts Center, 55 Lexington Avenue, New York City.
