Winners: VOCALISTS (men in art song/oratorio)—The American Prize in Vocal Performance—The Friedrich & Virginia Schorr Memorial Awards, 2021

Schorr as Wotan, Bayreuth

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 honored to announce the winners and runners-up of The American Prize in Vocal Performance—men in art song and oratorio, 2021—The Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Awards. Congratulations! 

Complete listings of finalists and semi-finalists in The American Prize competitions may be found elsewhere on this blog. Please use the chronological tool in the right-hand column to find specific results.

Please make us aware of any misprints: theamericanprize@gmail.com

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. The Prize recognizes and rewards the best performances by classically trained vocalists in America in 2021, based on submitted recordings.

COVID EXTENSION: Because of the current national and international situation, many rules have been changed and requirements eased to make it easier to apply for The American Prize, 2022. In addition, application deadlines have been extended with further extensions available by email request. 

We will accept applications from COMPOSERS, CLASSICAL VOCALISTS, PIANISTS, CHAMBER ENSEMBLES and INSTRUMENTAL SOLOISTS will be accepted until Tuesday, June 22, 2021. 

Applications from CONDUCTORS, STAGE DIRECTORS, CONDUCTED ENSEMBLES, ARTS ADMINISTRATORS (arts marketing, arts education) in the performance of American Music (BACON AWARD) and in the new category of VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE will be accepted until Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Visit theamericanprize.org for complete contest information.

The American Prize in Vocal Performance—men in art song (professional division),  2021, The Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Awards

The American Prize winner:
Ryan Townsend Strand  
Chicago IL

Ryan Townsend Strand  

Ryan Townsend Strand, tenor, is a Minnesota native whose "beautiful vocalism" (SF Chronicle) and "pliant tenor,” (Chicago Classical Review) have afforded him a budding career as a concert and oratorio soloist.  A passionate performer of Bach, Strand made his debut last season as Endymion in Bach’s secular Hunt Cantata under the baton of Nicholas Kramer with Music of the Baroque. Strand sang in Haymarket Opera Theater’s first ever HD filmed production of Handel’s Acis & Galatea (Chorus, Acis Cover). He would have made his onstage debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago last spring in Richard Wagner’s Götterdämmerung prior to COVID-19. Strand has sung with the Grammy award-winning contemporary vocal ensemble The Crossing in Philadelphia under the direction of Donald Nally. Locally, he performs with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Music of the Baroque, and the Grant Park Festival Chorus. He is a founding tenor and executive director of Constellation Men’s Ensemble in Chicago. www.ryantownsendstrand.com  


2nd Place:
Michael McAvoy 
Astoria NY

Michael McAvoy 

Baritone Michael McAvoy is acclaimed as demonstrating “range, resonance and interpretive skill.”  His most notable operatic roles include Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Top (The Tenderland), Papageno (Die Zauberflöte), Thomas Putnam (The Crucible), Belcore (L’elisir d’amore) and the title role in Don Giovanni.  Recently, he was seen singing in Josh Groban’s backup quartet at Radio City Music Hall, the Nassau Coliseum, Madison Square Garden, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Good Morning America.  Mr. McAvoy was the New York Classical Music Society’s Gold Prize Winner in their international vocal competition, first prize winner of the Amici Vocal Competition, a Grand Finalist in the International Talents of the World Competition and first prize winner in the oratorio division of the Lyra New York International Vocal Competition.  Having graduated with his degree in Vocal Performance from The University of Connecticut, Mr. McAvoy continues to study voice with UCONN’s Dr. Constance Rock. https://www.facebook.com/McAvoySings/ 


3rd Place:
Jordan Davidson  
Woodbridge VA  

Jordan Davidson  

A native of Northern New York, Dr. Jordan Davidson pursues opportunities in choral conducting, opera, operetta, musical theatre, concert, and recital. He holds a DMA in Vocal Performance, Pedagogy, & Literature and MM in Vocal Performance from James Madison University, and a BM in Music Education from the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, New York. After teaching at UVa for the 2016-2017 academic year, Jordan moved to Woodbridge, VA with his family to teach vocal music in Stafford County at Brooke Point High School. Jordan is also the conductor and artistic director of the Rappahannock Choral Society. Notable performances include Candide in Bernstein’s Candide, Gabey in Bernstein's On The Town, Albert in Britten’s Albert Herring, Lysander in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Handel’s Messiah, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah.



The American Prize in Vocal Performance—men in art song (college/university division),  2021, The Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Awards

The American Prize winner:
Morgan Manifacier
Setauket NY

Morgan Manifacier

French tenor Morgan Manifacier is a quickly establishing an international career as an interpreter of repertoire spanning from the Renaissance to the newest of contemporary music. A versatile and engaging singer, he has sung under the direction of conductors Mark Shapiro, Daniel Beckwith, Christopher Fecteau, David Lawton, Avi Stein, Benoît Renard, and Douglas Martin.  Morgan is a fellowship recipient from Oxford Lieder, SongFest, the International Baroque Academy, and the AlpenKammerMusik Festival. He has most recently performed with dell’Arte Opera Ensemble, Amherst Music Festival, Manhattan Opera Studio, Stony Brook Opera, Respiro Opera NYC, and Martina Arroyo’s Role Performance Program.  Morgan is currently pursuing his DMA at Stony Brook University under the tutelage of Randall Scarlata and Dr. Jeremy Little, and continues to coach with Timothy Long, Christòpheren Nomura, and Roger Malouf. Other major teachers include Robert C. White Jr. and Neal Harrelson.


2nd Place:
Harrison Heard

Golden Valley MN

Harrison Heard

Harrison Heard, an English-American Tenor, is a graduate of Westminster choir college, where he received a Master of Music with distinction in Vocal Performance and Oberlin Conservatory, where he received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal performance. He is currently based out of the Princeton area and is under the tutelage of pedagogue, Christopher Arneson. In the 2019-2020 season, Harrison sang Prince Charmant in Westminster Opera Theatre’s production of Cendrillon and was scheduled to premier the role of Gabe in Westminster Opera Theatre’s production of Marie Begins, until its cancellation due to covid-19.   As a recitalist, Harrison has taken part in the Lindsey Christiansen Art Song Festival for the past two years. In 2020, he performed Barber’s Despite and Still, op. 41, with renowned pianist JJ Penna. In 2019, he was awarded the Dalton Baldwin Award in Art Song Performance for his performance of works by Lili Boulanger. 


3rd Place:
Trevor Brown     
Wilton  CT

Trevor Brown     

Trevor Brown is a baritone in his undergraduate junior year at the University of Connecticut. He currently studies voice with Dr. Constance Rock and is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. In February of 2020, he performed the role of Papageno in the New York Lyric Opera’s production of Die Zauberflöte. Trevor also learned the role of Elviro for UCONN Opera Theater’s production of Handel’s Serse in Spring 2020, however the performances were cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis. Other performances at UCONN include being a featured performer in the Songfest and Honor recitals from 2018-2020, as well as performing in the ensemble of She Loves Me in 2019. Trevor is thankful for the unconditional support of his family, voice teachers, and vocal coaches that have helped him along his way.



The American Prize in Vocal Performance—men in art song (high school division),  2021, The Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Awards

The American Prize winner:
Adam Duffy
Meadville PA   

Adam Duffy

Adam Duffy is a senior in high school during the 2020-2021 school year. An avid lover of the arts, Duffy is an accomplished trombone player and vocalist, studying privately under Scott Boyer and Royce Strider, respectively. Duffy is a Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Musician, qualifying for the All-State Chorus in 2019, and both the All-State Chorus and Orchestra in 2020. In 2020, Duffy qualified for the National Association for Music Education's All-National Honors Mixed Chorus. He hopes to attend college for Trombone Performance and Music Education, leading to a career as an orchestral trombonist. The American Prize is his first solo competition, and he would love to thank all involved with The American Prize and all those who have helped him get this far in his arts education.


2nd Place:
Alistair Lam
Lawrenceville NJ

Alistair Lam

Alistair Lam has performed as a boy treble soloist at various prestigious venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall in New York, MuTh (concert hall of Vienna Boys' Choir), Golden Hall of Musikverein in Vienna, and Rudolfinum in Prague. He was awarded runner-up, Treble Lower Division, at the Doris Lenz Festival, by the National Association of Teachers of Singing New Jersey in November 2019. Alistair was a semi-finalist, Classical High School Division, at the CS Music Vocal Competition in May 2020. He was selected as a soloist at the Association for Music in International Schools Choir Festival 2019 in Mumbai, India. Alistair graduated from Hong Kong International School with the Outstanding Choral Achievement Award. He was a member of choirs recognized at distinguished music festivals, including 1st Place with Outstanding Success at the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival 2017. Alistair is a rising sophomore at The Lawrenceville School.
  

3rd Place:
Henry Hsiao 
Princeton NJ      

Henry Hsiao 

Henry Hsiao is the recipient of numerous vocal awards, recently winning 1st-place in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition for New Jersey and 1st-place in the NATS Eastern Regionals encompassing NJ, NY, PA, DE, WV, and Quebec, Canada. He began vocal studies at the esteemed American Boychoir, and continued as a soloist and conductor/pianist with the world-renowned Vienna Boys’ Choir (Wiener Sängerknaben) in Vienna, Austria, graduating with honors in 2018. During his tenure with the acclaimed ensemble, he performed 250+ concerts internationally, and had the rare opportunity to conduct his peers in-concert at major venues throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Currently, Henry studies voice professionally at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division in New York City. In addition, he is an honors student at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North in New Jersey, and has won The New York Times writing contest multiple times.  


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Congratulations!