Voice competition for young singers brings first national finals to Sarasota Opera House

For 25 years, the Schmidt Vocal Competition has given young singers around the country an opportunity to gain experience and attention and win scholarship money to further their training and education.

To mark the competition’s quarter-century mark, organizers are presenting their first national competition finals June 3-5 at the Sarasota Opera House, where winners from 13 regional competitions will compete for the first national prize in the organization’s history. It carries a $10,000 award.

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Richard Russell, general director of Sarasota Opera, said it’s a fitting location for the awards. The company’s main theater is named for longtime donor and former Sarasota Opera board member William E. Schmidt, who launched the competition in Indiana. He died in 2014.

Linda McAlister, executive director of the Schmidt Vocal Arts, said Schmidt was encouraged by his sister, Anna Lee Hamilton, a singer, “to support youth and the arts.”

The program started small, she said. “They went around the state to recruit singers for this voice competition. For a time it was operated by the University of Kentucky and then Miami University of Ohio. In 2019, the Schmidt Foundation launched Schmidt Vocal Arts, an umbrella organization for its programs, which include the Schmidt Vocal Competition, Schmidt Vocal Institute and Schmidt Vocal Scholarships. This year marks the first national competition.

McAlister said that her team has joked that “Bill would have called this his Super Bowl.”

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McAlister said 30-40 regional winners will arrive in Sarasota on Friday for rehearsals with pianists. On Saturday, they will sing before a panel of five judges for the semi-final round. Up to 16 finalists will be selected to perform in front of a three-judge panel. The finals jury includes Russell, a former singer; soprano Tamara Wilson; and bass-baritone Eric Owens.

Three of the non-finalists will be chosen to participate in a master class with soprano Judith Haddon of the Chicago College of Performing Arts, Soprano Katherine Jolly of Oberlin Conservatory and tenor Stanford Olsen.

At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, soprano Virginia Mims and tenor Aaron Crouch, two alumni of the program, will perform a recital of song, arias and duets with pianist Brent Funderburk. During the concert, the finalists will be announced.

Russell said the competition is a “perfect alignment of our mission and their mission” to support young artists and provide them opportunities.

The singers are all high school students, but the majority are graduating this year, McAlister said. They are at an early stage of their vocal development.

“They will not sing very difficult arias,” she said. “That is not encouraged for them at this point. But you will hear a lot of classical art songs, and they can do one musical theater selection if they think that shows them off well.”

She said judges will be listening for “the beauty of the voice and then really look for singers who can tell a story.”

Russell said his primary role as a judge will be to “help identity talent and to encourage them to take the next step in their development. Many of them are about to go to college and some will major in voice. Some of them need that encouragement and help.”

He also may be taking note of some singers who could become future performers for Sarasota Opera.

In addition to the $10,000 first prize, the awards include $7,500 for second place, $5,000 for third place and the other finalists receive $650 each. Four of the non-finalists will receive $300 encouragement awards.

The competitions are open to the public. Tickets for the semi-final round, which begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, are $15, $10 for students. Tickets for Sunday’s master class, final round and awards ceremony are $25 and $10 for students.

For ticket information, call 941-328-1300 or visit sarasotaopera.org.

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Schmidt Vocal Competition holds first national finals at Sarasota Opera