News

Lisa Gray 2/18/19 Lisa Gray 2/18/19

Meet our Accompanists for the 2019 Competition

At the Jensen Competition, we understand how the collaboration between singer and accompanist can make a performance shine. So we engage renowned accompanists and make them available, free-of-charge, to each of our auditioners. Meet our (your!) 2019 accompanists.

Shane Schag serves on the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music and at Operaworks in Los Angeles. He has worked in the capacity of vocal coach for Centro Studi Italiani Opera Festival and as an assistant conductor for the Gotham Chamber Opera. In 2007, Mr. Schag made his debut at Weill Recital Hall (Carnegie Hall), and now he serves as staff pianist for Carnegie Hall’s Musical Explorers concert series, which reaches out to public schools across the tri-state area. Mr. Schag earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the Ashland University of Ohio, a Master’s Degree in Collaborative Piano from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and a Professional Studies Certificate from the Manhattan School of Music. He will accompany Jensen singers on Monday, May 13.

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 Elina Garanča, Susan Graham, Hei-Kyung Hong, Ana María Martínez, Anna Netrebko, 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. He will accompany Jensen singers on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 14-15.

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 Jensen singers on Thursday, May 16, and on the Finals Day, Saturday, May 18.

Soprano Felicia Moore Takes First Place at 2018 Jensen Competition

MAY 26 2018 – NEW YORK CITY, NY – Today, the Fritz & Lavinia Jensen Foundation awarded Felicia Moore First Place in the 19th annual Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition in New York City. For the final day of the competition, Ms. Moore, a soprano, performed “L’altra notte in fondo al mare” from Arrigo Boito’s Mefistofele, “O smania!...D’Oreste d’Ajace” from Idomeneo by Mozart, and “Do not utter a word” from Samuel Barber’s Vanessa. Ms. Moore received $15,000 as first place winner.

Ms. Moore recently recently received her Artist Diploma in Opera Studies from The Julliard School. She will be traveling to France as a Resident in the Aix-en-Provence Festival's Mozart Académie, and then she will be in Germany as a participant of the International Meistersinger Akademie. Said Ms. Moore of her Jensen win, “I’m in shock and am honored to have won First Prize. This award will help me pay for lessons and coachings next year as I learn roles for upcoming seasons. I am very humbled and grateful to the Jensen Foundation for enabling me to continue my studies next year.” Visit Ms. Moore's website here.

Other 2018 Jensen award winners were baritone Emmett O’Hanlon (Second Place Award Winner - $10,000), bass-baritone Alex Soare (Third Place Award Winner - $7,500), and soprano Helena Brown (Munday Encouragement Award Winner - $3,000).

Additional finalists who performed in the 2018 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition were:

These singers distinguished themselves from a field of 112 auditioners and 254 applicants. Judges for the 2018 Jensen Finals were Ian Derrer, Lauren Flanigan, and Steven White (Read their bios here.) Judges for the Preliminary Rounds, held Monday-Thursday, were Ben Leaptrott (Brenau University), Carleen Graham (Houston Grand Opera), and Oliver Worthington (Butler University). The 2018 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition was held May 21-26 in the Engelman Recital Hall at Baruch Performing Arts Center in New York City.

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, 138 singers have received more than $650,000 in support.

Lisa Gray 5/24/18 Lisa Gray 5/24/18

Finalists Announced for 2018 Jensen Competition

POSTED MAY 24, 2018 – NEW YORK, NY – After four days of preliminary auditions this week, finalists to the 2018 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition have been announced. They are:

These thirteen singers compete for more than $40,000 in awards this Saturday, May 26th 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:

In July 2018, Ian Derrer returns to The Dallas Opera as general director after two seasons at the helm of Kentucky Opera. He has served in production and administrative roles with Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Atlanta Opera, Opera Carolina, and New York City Opera, among others. Mr. Derrer holds degrees from the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, Northwestern University, and Brooklyn College.
Internationally acclaimed soprano Lauren Flanigan is the Founder of Music and Mentoring House which offers training and mentoring programs for opera singers in New York City. She has enjoyed a thirty-year career that includes performances at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Glyndebourne, 10 world premieres, 1 movie, 11 recordings, 5 Live From Lincoln Center telecasts, and 15 awards for musical and humanitarian work.
Steven White is one of North America’s premiere conductors of both symphonic and operatic repertoire. He has conducted the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Moscow Philharmonic, the Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal, and many others. Maestro White is a master-class clinician and a frequent judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

More than 250 singers applied to perform in the 2018 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. Ninety-six singers were heard, and these thirteen 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: Mr. Ben Leaptrott of Brenau University; Ms. Carleen Graham of Houston Grand Opera; and Mr. Oliver Worthington of Butler University.

Lisa Gray 4/27/18 Lisa Gray 4/27/18

Meet Our 2018 Finals Judges

The Jensen Foundation thanks the esteemed opera professionals who served as Finals Judges for its 2018 Vocal Competition, held Saturday, May 26 2018 in Engelman Recital Hall at New York City's Baruch Performing Arts Center.

Ian Derrer
In July 2018, Ian Derrer returns to The Dallas Opera as general director after two seasons at the helm of Kentucky Opera. He has served in production and administrative roles with Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Atlanta Opera, Opera Carolina, and New York City Opera, among others. His love of opera began as a member of the children’s chorus in Tosca for Charlotte Opera, now Opera Carolina. Mr. Derrer holds degrees from the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, Northwestern University, and Brooklyn College.

Lauren Flanigan
Internationally acclaimed soprano Lauren Flanigan is the Founder/Director of Music and Mentoring House, a not-for-profit organization that offers training and mentoring programs for opera singers in New York City. She has enjoyed a thirty-year career that included performances at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Bayerisches Staatsoper, Glyndebourne, the New York City Opera, 10 world premieres, 1 movie, 11 cd’s, 5 Live From Lincoln Center telecasts, and 15 awards for musical and humanitarian work, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation.

Steven White
Praised by Opera News as a conductor who “squeezes every drop of excitement and pathos from the score,” Steven White is one of North America’s premiere conductors of both symphonic and operatic repertoire. He has conducted the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Moscow Philharmonic, the Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the New World Symphony Orchestra, the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and London’s Philharmonia Orchestra for a CHANDOS recording of arias. Maestro White is a master-class clinician and a frequent judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He has served as an artist-in-residence with Peabody Conservatory, Indiana University, University of Cincinnati—College-Conservatory of Music, Virginia Tech University, and the University of Miami Frost School of Music at Salzburg.

Lisa Gray 2/21/18 Lisa Gray 2/21/18

Accompanists Announced for the 2018 Jensen Competition

The Jensen Foundation is pleased to announce the acclaimed musicians who will be available to accompany singers for the 2018 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition May 21-26, 2018: Jonathan Kelly and Dan Franklin Smith. Read more about Jonathan and Dan...

At the Jensen Competition, we want singers to be at their best. So we engage renowned accompanists and make them available, free-of-charge, to each of our auditioners. We are pleased to welcome back acclaimed accompanists Jonathan Kelly and Dan Franklin Smith for the 2018 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition.

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 Elina Garanča, Susan Graham, Hei-Kyung Hong, Ana María Martínez, Anna Netrebko, 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. He will accompany Jensen singers on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, May 21-24.