Jensen Foundation Announces Virtual 2021 Competition

UPDATED JANUARY 6, 2021 - The Fritz & Lavinia Jensen Foundation is now accepting online applications from opera professionals 25-35 years of age for the 2021 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. Singers can apply at Yaptracker.com to compete for their share of more than $40,000 in prize money. While the annual competition typically takes place in New York City, the 2021 Competition will be 100% virtual.

Instead of inviting singers to audition, the Foundation this year asks singers to submit aria video-recordings. From these submissions, judges will choose twelve finalists who will compete, again via video-recordings, for these awards:

• First place - $15,000

• Second place - $10,000

• Third place - $7,500

• Munday Encouragement Award - $3,000 and automatic entry in the 2022 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition

• People’s Choice - $500

“Our top priorities are keeping singers safe and supporting their work,” says Oliver Worthington, Jensen Foundation Board Chair. “A virtual competition will let us accomplish both of those goals this year. We love hearing singers in-person, of course, and we’ll move back to that format as soon as circumstances allow. But at this point, we know singers are producing audition videos for companies and other competitions. We will piggy-back on those efforts and, we hope, attract more singers than ever.”

The 2021 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition is open to opera singers who meet the following eligibility requirements:

• must not be a previous first-, second-, or third-place award winner of the Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition;

• must be a permanent legal resident of the United States for at least one year prior to March 15, 2021;

• must be between the ages of 25 and 35 as of March 15, 2021;

• must not be a past or current recipient of a contract for a principal role with an OPERA America Budget Level I company or its international equivalent. Cover, chorus, and comprimario roles with Level 1 companies are acceptable.

• must submit a completed application online by the deadline of Sunday, March 14, 2021.

For more details about the 2021 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, visit our Competition 411 page.

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About the Fritz & Lavinia Jensen Foundation

Fritz and Lavinia Jensen were lifelong supporters of the arts who benefited many musicians and musical organizations during their lives. The Jensen Foundation is dedicated to continuing their philanthropic vision of support for the musical arts. The centerpiece of the Foundation’s efforts, the annual Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, supports young artists pursuing a career in opera. Since the Competition’s inception in 2000, 388 singers have received more than $747,000 in support.

Jensen Foundation Cancels Its 2020 Competition

Each Applicant To Receive $200 Grant

POSTED APRIL 10, 2020 – The Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation announced today its decision to cancel its 2020 Vocal Competition, originally scheduled for May 11-16 in New York City. In the same statement, Jensen Foundation Chair Oliver Worthington announced that each of the 2020 competition’s 235 singer-applicants would receive a $200 grant from the Foundation.

“Mrs. Jensen established the Jensen Foundation to support singers, and if there was ever a time when singers needed support, this is it. The world needs music now more than ever, and we are eager to hear singers’ voices again as soon as possible.”

The Foundation expects to once again host the Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition in May 2021. Sign up here to receive early notification of the 2021 Competition guidelines and application.

About the Jensen Foundation

The Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation is a donor-advised fund of the Foundation for the Carolinas, 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, 388 singers have received more than $747,000 in support.

Meet Our 2020 Finals Judges

UPDATED APRIL 10, 2020 — The 2020 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition has been cancelled, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2020 Competition Final Round was to be judged by this slate of internationally recognized opera professionals. These Finals Judges had graciously agreed to offer feedback to all finalists, had the Competition taken place as expected. We are grateful to Maestro Buchalter, Ms. Harmer, and Ms. Garrett for their willingness to support the Jensen Foundation and our singers.

Gregory Buchalter is the Artistic Director and conductor of Opera Fairbanks, Opera Las Vegas, and Opera Camerata of Washington. This season he conducts productions with New England Conservatory of Music, the North Czech Philharmonic in Prague, and Pacific North West Opera. In 2021, his engagements include Faust with Florida Grand Opera. In Fairbanks he has conducted L’Italiana in Algeri, Carmen, La Boheme, L’elisir d’amore, Don Giovanni, Tosca, and La Cenerentola. Maestro Buchalter currently serves on the music staff at the Metropolitan Opera and was Chorus Master for the telecasts of Franco Zeffirelli’s production of Don Giovanni and Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. He has also prepared several world premieres at the Met: John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles, Philip Glass’ The Voyage, and John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby. Read more about Maestro Buchalter.

This season, soprano Wendy Bryn Harmer makes her debut at Opera Philadelphia as Fata Morgana in The Love of Three Oranges and sings Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus in Tokyo with Seiji Ozawa. A graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Ms. Harmer has appeared in their productions of Le nozze di Figaro, War and Peace, Khovanshchina, Parsifal, Die Agyptische Helena, Jenufa, and the complete Ring Cycle. She also appeared in the Met’s HD broadcasts of the Ring Cycle and The Magic Flute, which have subsequently been released on DVD (Deutsche Gramophone). Other recent opera engagements have included the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos and Adalgisa in Norma at the Palm Beach Opera, Senta in Die fliegende Holländer and multiple roles in the Ring Cycle at the Seattle Opera, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus at the Houston Grand Opera, Die Walküre at the San Francisco Opera, and Glauce in Medea at the Glimmerglas Festival. Ms. Harmer graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from The Boston Conservatory and attended the Music of Academy of the West. In addition to being a Jensen Competition winner, she also won the Richard Tucker Grant, the Teatro alla Scala Award, the Palm Beach Opera Competition, and the George London/Leonie Rysanek Award. Ms. Harmer is an Opus3 Artist.

Margo Garrett is an internationally acclaimed collaborative pianist, having performed on the stage and in the recording studio with such artists as Kathleen Battle, Barbara Bonney, Elizabeth Futral, the late Judith Raskin, Lucy Shelton, and Dawn Upshaw. A devoted teacher, Ms. Garrett co-directed the Collaborative Piano Department at New England Conservatory and headed the Collaborative Piano department at The Juilliard School. Ms. Garrett directed the Tanglewood Music Center vocal fellowship program and the TMC Vocal Program. In addition, she has served as Faculty Chair of The Steans Institute for Young Artists vocal programs at Chicago Symphony’s Ravinia Festival and held residencies at the Hochschule für Musik, Germany; Vancouver International Song Institute; Taiwan Normal Teacher’s University; Soochou University, China; Music Academy of the West; and Internationale Meistersinger Akademie, Germany. The American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) awarded Ms. Garrett its Most Creative Programming Award for her curation of programs for the Cape and Islands Chamber Music Festival.

More information about our 2020 Vocal Competition:

• Meet the Preliminary Judges

• Meet the Accompanists

• More information about the 2020 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition

For Singers Looking for Operas Composed After 1980...

UPDATED April 4, 2024 — For the Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, singers must offer one aria composed after 1980. As a jumpstart on that aria search, here is a non-definitive list of operas composed after 1980.

• 27, Gordon (2014)

• A Coffin in Egypt, Gordon (2014)

• A Flowering Tree, Adams | Sellars (2006)

• A Metamorphosis, Christmas (2018)

• A Pregnant Pause, Baxter | Rozsnyai (2024)

• A Quiet Place, Bernstein (1983)

• A Streetcar Named Desire, Previn | Littel (1998)

• A View from the Bridge, Bolcom | Weinstein & Miller (1999)

• A Wedding, Bolcom | Altman & Weinstein (2004)

• After Life, Cipullo | Mason (2015)

• Ainadamar, Golijov | Hwang (2003)

• Alice, An Operatic Wonderland, Scurria (2022)

• Alice in Wonderland, Chin (2004)

• The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Bates | Scheer (2024)

• An American Dream, Perla | Murphy-Moo (2015)

• An American Soldier, Ruo (2018)

• Anna Hunter, Ching (2017)

• Anna Nicole, Turnage (2011)

• Another City, Beck (2023)

• Another Sunrise, Heggie | Scheer (2012)

• Arkhipov, Knell (2022)

• As One, Kaminsky | Campbell & Reed (2014)

• At the Statue of Venus, Heggie (2005)

• Before Night Falls, Martin (2010)

• Bel Canto, López | Cruz (2015)

• Blind Injustice, Richards | Cote (2019)

• Blue, Tesori (2019)

• Breaking the Waves, Mazzoli (2016)

• Castor and Patience, Spears | Smith (2022)

• Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, Schnyder (2015)

• Clair de Lune, Larsen (1984)

• Cold Mountain, Higdon | Scheer (2015)

• Cold Sassy Tree, Floyd (2000)

• The Companion, Paterson | Cote (2014)

• The Cows of Apollo, Theofanidis (2001)

• The Dangerous Liaisons, Susa (1994)

• Dark Sisters, Muhly | Karam (2011)

• Dead Man Walking, Heggie | McNally (2000)

• Death of Klinghoffer, Adams (1990)

• Dinner at Eight, Bolcom | Campbell (2017)

• Dog Days, Little (2015)

• Dolores Claiborne, Picker (2013)

• Doctor Atomic, Adams | Sellars (2005)

• Dream of the Red Chamber, Sheng (2016)

• El Niño, Adams (2000)

• El último sueño de Frida y Diego, Frank (2021)

• Elizabeth Cree, Puts | Campbell (2017)

• Elmer Gantry, Aldridge | Garfein (2007)

• Emmeline, Picker (1996)

• Empty the House, Orth (2019)

• The Enchanted Pig, Dove | Middleton (2006)

• Escobar, Neri | Martinez (2017)

• Eurydice, Aucoin | Ruhl (2020)

• The Exterminating Angel, Adès |Cairns (2016)

• Factotum, Liverman/DJ King Rico (2023)

• The Falling and the Rising, Redler | Dye (2018)

• Fantastic Mr. Fox, Picker (1998)

• Fellow Travelers, Spears | Pierce (2007)

• Flight, Dove | De Angelis (1998)

• Florencia en el Amazonas, Catán (1996)

• For a Look or a Touch, Heggie | Scheer (2007)

• Frida, Rodriquez | Blecher (1991)

• Garden of the Finzi Continis, Gordon | Korie (2022)

• Ghosts of Versailles, Corigliano (1983)

• The Gift of the Magi, Conte (1997)

• Glory Denied, Cipullo (2007)

• Goya, Menotti (1986)

• The Grapes of Wrath, Gordon | Korie (2007)

• The Great Gatsby, Harbison | Harbison (1999)

• Great Scott, Heggie | McNally (2015)

• Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom, Okoye (2014)

• Having Guests for Dinner, Bentz | Feng (2020)

• Home of my Ancestors, Okoye (2017)

• The Hours, Puts | Pierce (2022)

• House of Orfeus, Ford | Ford (2024)

• House Without a Christmas Tree, Gordon (2017)

• I Have No Stories To Tell You, Beecher | Moscovitch (2014)

• If I Were You, Heggie | Scheer (2019)

• Il Postino, Catán (2010)

• The Impresario and the Dueling Divas, Christman (2021)

• The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace, Sankaram (2019)

• Intelligence, Heggie (2023)

• Intimate Apparel, Gordon | Nottage (2020)

• Iron Road, Chan (2001)

• It's A Wonderful Life, Heggie (2016)

• JFK, Little | Vavrek (2016)

• Jackie O, Daugherty (1997)

• John Brown, Mechem (2008)

• Josephine, Cipullo (2016)

• La hija de Rappaccini, Catán | Tovar (1983)

• Later the Same Evening, Musto | Campbell (2007)

• The Listeners, Mazzoli | Vavrek (2022)

• The Little Prince, Portman | Wright (2003)

• Little Women, Adamo | Adamo (1998)

• The Lord of Cries, Corigliano (2021)

• Lucy, Cipullo (2009)

• Lyrics of Sunshine and Shadows, Allen (2022)

• Lysistrata, Adamo | Adamo (2006)

• M. Butterfly, Hwang (2022)

• Madeline Lee, Haddock (2004)

• The Manchurian Candidate, Puts (2015)

• Margaret Garner, Danielpour (2005)

• Marnie, Muhly (2018)

• Mayo, Cipullo (2018)

• McTeague, Bolcom (1992)

• Moby-Dick, Heggie (2010)

• Mother Goose, Jarrar (2019)

• Naga, Wheeler (2016)

• Nixon in China, Adams (1987)

• Old Man and the Sea, Prestini | Vavrek (2024)

• Omar, Giddens | Abels (2022)

• Oscar, Morrison (2015)

• Our Town, Rorem | McClatchy (2006)

• Out of Darkness (Two Remain), Heggie (2016)

• Outside, Blaskie (2019)

• Patience & Pearl, Jarrar | Goodwin (2016)

• Penny, Pew (2015)

• Plastic Flowers, MacDowell | MacDowell (2014)

• Powder Her Face, Ades (1995)

• prisoner of the state, Lang (2019)

• Proving Up, Mazzoli (2018)

• Rappahannock County, Gordon (2011)

• Rattensturm, Wold (2018)

• Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt, Musto (2016)

• The Rift, Ruo (2022)

• The Rivals, Mechem (2011)

• Roscoe, Mack (2014)

• Scalia/GInsburg, Wang | Wang (2014)

• Service Provider, Weiss (2015)

• Silent Night, Puts | Campbell (2011)

• Siren Song, Dove | Dear (1994)

• Soldier Songs, Little | Little (2006)

• Song of the Nightingale, DeSpain (2023)

• The Song Poet, Hagen | Yang (2023)

• Speed Dating Tonight!, Ching (2013)

• Tabula Rasa, Jarrar (2018)

• Taking Up Serpents, Sankaram (2019)

• Tartuffe, Mechem (1980)

• Tea: a mirror of soul, Tan Dun (2002)

• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Talbot (2020)

• The Dream of Valentino, Argento (1993)

• The Long Walk, Beck (2015)

• The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, Bates (2017)

• The Scarlet Letter, Laitman | Mason (2008)

• The Secret River, Sung | Campbell (2021)

• The Silk City, Santelli (2019)

• The Tell Tale Heart, Jarrar (2021)

• The Tempest, Adès | Oakes (2004)

• The Tempest, Hoiby | Shulgasser (1986)

• The Transformation of Jane Doe, Garrop (2020)

• Thérèse Raquin, Picker (2001)

• Three Decembers, Heggie | Scheer (2008)

• Three Way, Paterson (2017)

• Thumbprint, Sankaram (2014)

• To Hell and Back, Heggie (2006)

• Treemonisha (Reimagined), Sneed | Chilton (2023)

• Triangle, Solitro (2019)

• Two Remain, Heggie | McNally (2016)

• Uncovered, Laitman | Lax (2020)

• Vanqui, Burrs (1995)

• We, The Innumerable, Nourbakhsh (2019)

• When Adonis Calls, Borzoni (2014)

• Willie Stark, Floyd (1981)

• Written on Skin, Benjamin (2012)

• X - The Life & Times of Malcolm X, Davis (1986)

• you do not recognize the bodies in the water, Jarrar (2022)

• Zorro, Armienta (2022)

Meet the Judges for the Prelim Rounds of the 2020 Competition

UPDATED APRIL 10, 2020 — The 2020 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition has been cancelled, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. These are the singers and teachers who were to be our Preliminary-Round Judges. The Jensen Foundation thanks all of these dedicated professionals for their support of our singers.

Kirsten Chambers, soprano, has sung the title role of Salome at the Metropolitan Opera, Opera Hong Kong, and Florida Grand Opera. Her Carnegie Hall debut was Maria in Richard Strauss’ Friedenstag with the American Symphony Orchestra. At the Metropolitan Opera, she has covered leading roles like Isolde in Tristan und Isolde and Marie in Wozzeck. Abroad, she has sung Elsa in Lohengrin with the Savonlinna Opera Festival, Opéra de Rennes, and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. Favorite engagements include Erwartung with The Orchestra Now, Strauss’ Die Ägyptische Helena with Odyssey Opera, and the Angel in Angels in America for New York City Opera. Ms. Chambers earned degrees from Illinois Wesleyan University and the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston. Visit her website to learn more.

R. Benjamin Leaptrott, Jr. is assistant professor of music with a specialty in collaborative arts at Brenau University and also an Artist in Residence at Brenau with The Leaptrott Trio. He is an active recitalist, vocal coach, and accompanist, serving as accompanist for the district and regional Metropolitan Opera Auditions. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from East Carolina University, a Masters of Music Degree from Eastman School of Music, and a Solo Diploma from Sweelinck Academy at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. Mr. Leaptrott is Vice President of the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation.

Oliver Worthington, baritone, is Coordinator of the Voice Area at Butler University and is the producing director of Butler Opera Theater. After a concert tour of South Africa in the fall, he will have performed in Africa as well as North America, South America, and Europe. He performs extensively as an opera singer, oratorio soloist, and recitalist, appearing regionally with San Antonio Opera, San Antonio Symphony, Austin Opera, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, among others. Dr. Worthington maintains a full schedule as an educator and performer and serves as the President of The Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation. 

Read more about our 2020 Competition:

• Meet the 2020 Finals Judges

• Meet the 2020 Accompanists

• All the Details about the 2020 Jensen Competition