Finalists: WOMEN in ART SONG & ORATORIO—The Friedrich & Virginia Schorr Memorial Awards, 2021

The American Prize wishes everyone safety and health during this difficult time.

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts, David Volosin Katz, founder and chief judge, is pleased to announce NATIONAL FINALIST women in art song and oratorio for 2021 in all divisions, The FRIEDRICH and VIRGINIA SCHORR MEMORIAL AWARD in VOICE. Congratulations! To know the exact date when winners and runners-up will be announced, please "like" our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter #AmericanPrize, where that information will be published first.

The American Prize in Vocal Performance—Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Award honors the memory of the greatest Wagnerian baritone of his age, Friedrich Schorr, who commanded the operatic stage between the world wars, and his wife, Virginia Schorr, who taught studio voice at the Manhattan School of Music and the Hartt School of Music for nearly fifty years.  

From Maestro Katz: 

"Why so many finalists?" Different from some other contests, The American Prize is first and foremost about encouraging artists, not about eliminating contestants. Each of the ensembles below was judged to be worthy of further consideration as we move towards selecting winners and runners-up in the various divisions. At the end of the contest year each will receive a written evaluation. Especially during this most difficult time for performing artists everywhere, we hope the recognition will prove valuable. Thanks to all these individuals for their artistry. —DK

If you are not a finalist this year, please remember that the contests are not yet over. The American Prize reserves the right to award Honorable Mentions and Citations for Special Achievement to any contestant, regardless of final placement. TAP has honored a number of semi-finalists and quarter finalists in the past--to recognize a unique talent or focus, unusual repertoire, vital programming or outreach. Citations and Honorable Mentions are usually awarded at the same time as winners and runners-up, but can be presented at any time up to the last winners' announcement of the contest year.

All contestants are reminded they are responsible for the viability of their online links to audition materials. Those links must remain active until the end of the contest year. Questions, or to make us aware of any misprints in the listings below, please email: theamericanprize@gmail.com 

We invite finalists to make the most of their selection by announcing it on social media, and including a link to this announcement on their website or blog. A sample announcement may be found at the end of the post.

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation's most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts. The American Prize is unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, ensembles and composers in the United States at professional, college/university, community and high school levels, based on submitted recordings. Now in its tenth year, The American Prize was founded in 2010 and is awarded annually in many areas of the performing arts. Contestants hail from all fifty states, representing literally hundreds of communities and arts organizations across the nation.

NATIONAL FINALISTS: The American Prize in Voice / Friedrich & Virginia Schorr Memorial Award—art song/oratorio, professional division (women),  2021

Julie Lyn Barber      

Parker City   IN       

               

Sara DeFranco    

Rush   NY       

         

Amber Evans       

Brooklyn  NY       

        

Lenora Green-Turner

Macon  GA       

        

Malinda Haslett     

Gorham ME       

        

Rachel Eve Holmes      

Cumming GA       

        

Jacquelyn Matava      

San Antonio  TX       

        

Lisa Newill-Smith

Stralsund  Germany  

        

Christina Nicastro    

Indianapolis  IN       

        

Leandra Ramm        

Pittsburg  CA       

        

Jamie Reimer      

Papillion NE       

               

Loralee Songer      

Muncie  IN       

        

Erin Roth Thomas      

Plano  TX       

        

Camelia Voin        

Loma Linda. CA       

        

Adriana Zabala      

Orange  CT       

Dana Zenobi      

Indianapolis  IN        

NATIONAL FINALISTS: The American Prize in Voice / Friedrich & Virginia Schorr Memorial Award—art song/oratorio, college/university division (women),  2021       

        

Olivia Gray       

Covington  LA       

        

Molly Henning    

New Ulm  MN       

        

Kim Kenny      

Fishers  IN       

        

Solene Le Van     

Anaheim  CA       

        

Thereza Dinorah Lituma     

Chicago  IL       

        

Victoria Popritkin  

Pepper Pike. OH       

        

NATIONAL FINALISTS: The American Prize in Voice / Friedrich & Virginia Schorr Memorial Award—art song/oratorio, high school division (women),  2021

Eloise Fox       

Landenberg. PA

Isabel Hernandez

Winnetka  IL

Peggy Yin       

Port Jefferson  NY

*** 

We encourage finalists to make the most of their selection by announcing it on social media, and including a link to this announcement on their website or blog. 

Here is a sample announcement:

"Great News! I've just been selected as a national finalist in the (blank) division of The American Prize national non-profit competitions in the performing arts. Here's the link: (copy link here). The American Prize will be announcing winners in my division soon. You can learn more about this prestigious national competition here: www.theamericanprize.org or follow the news on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-American-Prize-celebrating-American-excellence-in-the-arts/214320622728 or Twitter: https://twitter.com/americanprize "

Please feel free to modify or expand this announcement to suit your needs.

Congratulations to all finalists.