Mezzo Sadie Cheslak Wins 2025 Jensen Competition
Sadie Cheslak, mezzo-soprano
Saturday, May 17, 2025 — NEW YORK, NY – Today, the Jensen Foundation has awarded mezzo-soprano Sadie Cheslak the First Place grant award in the 25th annual Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. For her arias, Ms. Cheslak performed “Weiche, Wotan! Weiche!” from Wagner’s Das Rheingold and “My husband was an ugly man” from The Listeners by composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek. Ms. Cheslak receives $15,000 as first-place grant winner.
Said Ms. Cheslak, “The Jensen Foundation’s commitment to supporting artists they believe in means everything to me. It’s a vote of confidence in who I am as an artist. It felt incredible to receive first prize, and I can’t begin to describe the ways this generous prize is going to open doors for me. I’m overwhelmingly grateful.”
Ms. Cheslak received her Master of Music Degree from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Concordia College. She has been chosen as a Young Artist for the 2025 Merola Opera Program in San Francisco this summer. To learn more, follow Ms. Cheslak on Instagram.
The Jensen Foundation extends its congratulations to its additional 2025 Jensen grant award winners: soprano Abigail Raiford (Second Place grant winner - $10,000); soprano Esther Tonea (Third Place grant winner - $7, 500); mezzo-soprano Winona Martin and soprano Virginia Mims (co-winners of the Munday Encouragement Grant - $3,000 each); and soprano Maggie Kinabrew, winner of the $10,000 Facing Foward grant for the best performance of a 21st-century aria.
These nine outstanding artists also advanced to the Finals Round of the 2025 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. Each receives a $750 grant award:
Patrick Bessenbacher | Tenor
Brennan Blankenship | Soprano
Charles Eaton | Baritone
Cara Gabrielson | Soprano
Julia Laird | Soprano
Victoria McGrath | Soprano
Celeste Morales | Soprano
Joseph Park | Bass-Baritone
Zaikuan Song | Bass
Finalists in the 2025 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition were accompanied by Dan Franklin Smith.
2025 Jensen Finalists and Judges (L to R) - Patrick Bessenbacher, Virginia McGrath, Cara Gabrielson, Cory Lippiello, Brennan Blankenship, Charles Eaton, Celeste Morales, Virginia Mims, Abigail Raiford, Sadie Cheslak, Michael Eberhard, Esther Tonea, Maggie Kinabrew, Priti Gandhi, Winona Martin, Joseph Park, Zaikuan Song.
Our 2025 Judges
The Jensen Foundation gratefully acknowledges the work of its panel of esteemed Finals Judges: Michael Eberhard, Director of Casting & Artistic Administration at Opera Philadelphia and Casting Advisor for the Spoleto Festival USA; Priti Gandhi, Associate Director of the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition; and Cory Lippiello, Director of Artistic Programs at Lyric Opera of Chicago. 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, 461 singers have received more than $985,000 in support.
