And the 2026 Jensen Finalists are...
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.
