The Gerda Lissner Foundation to Present Winners Concert At Carnegie Hall

The Gerda Lissner Foundation, in association with The Liederkranz Foundation, will present a special concert featuring performances by the winners of the Lieder/Song and International Vocal Competitions 2024/2025. This concert highlights the exceptional talent that the foundation has nurtured and supported for decades. This event will take place on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 6:30 PM at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall.

The foundation is also thrilled that two-time Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and legendary pianist Warren Jones will join as the evening's honorees to help shine a spotlight on the importance of art song in a young classical artist's development. Sasha and Warren will speak about the role art song has played in their distinguished careers and grace the audience with a performance of their own that is sure to be memorable.

International Vocal Competition Winners (2025):

• Top Prize (The Liederkranz Foundation Award): Magdalena Kuźma, soprano

• First Prize: (The Stephen De Maio Memorial Award): Giorgi Guliashvili, tenor

• Second Prize:Tatev Baroyan, soprano

• Third Prize:

  • Sofia Gotch, soprano

  • Shelén Hughes, soprano

• Judges' Special Prize: Amanda Batista, soprano

Lieder/Song Vocal Competition Winners (2024):

• First Prize: Erin Wagner, mezzo-soprano

• Second Prize: The Liederkranz Foundation Inc., Michael John Butler, tenor

• Third Prize: Bridget Esler, soprano

• Judges' Special Prize: Sponsored by Michele T. Classe; Ashlyn Rock, soprano

The Gerda Lissner Foundation would like to express its gratitude to all applicants for their participation. Their contributions and achievements inspire and drive positive changes in our shared endeavors.

International Vocal Competition Judges (2025):

• Michael Benchetrit (Minerva Artists, President)

• Ken Benson (Ken Benson Artists, President)

• Maestro Mark Shapiro (Conductor of orchestras, opera, and choruses)

• Susan Quittmeyer (Mezzo-Soprano, Voice Teacher)

• Midge Woolsey (The Gerda Lissner Foundation)

Lieder/Song Vocal Competition Judges (2024):

• Michael Benchetrit (Minerva Artists, President)

• Ken Benson (Ken Benson Artists, President)

• Lorraine DiSimone (Mezzo-Soprano, Voice Teacher, Former Associate Prof.of Voice at University of TN)

• Nathaniel LaNasa (Pianist, Opera and Vocal Coach, NYFOS Next-Pianist and curator)

• Midge Woolsey (The Gerda Lissner Foundation)

As a special highlight, the First Prize Winner of the Kosciuszko Foundation's 2024 Marcella Sembrich International Voice Competition will deliver a performance, further elevating this extraordinary celebration of vocal excellence.

Midge Woolsey (television and radio host, producer, and writer) will host the evening. For over thirty years, she worked as an on-air host for the nation's flagship public television station, Thirteen/WNET, and New York's premier classical radio station, WQXR. She also serves as Vice President and Co-Artistic Director of The Gerda Lissner Foundation.

Arlene Shrut (The Gerda Lissner Foundation Co-Artistic Director) is one of the evening's pianists. She served as official pianist for both the Lieder/Song Vocal Competition and the International Vocal Competition. Arlene has also served as an official pianist to The Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation, The Giulio Gari Foundation, The Loren L. Zachary Society for the Performing Arts, and others. In recent years she has served as an official pianist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida as well as Regional Auditions in Atlanta.

Francesco Barfoed is a Danish-Italian collaborative pianist, born and raised in Copenhagen. He will accompany the Lieder/Song Vocal Competition winners in Part I of this concert. A young artist on the rise, he frequently collaborates with singers across the United States. This season, Francesco performed with Megan Moore at The Morgan Library in New York, premiering song cycle by Jake Heggie, and performed with Joseph Parrish at his YCA debut concert in Merkin Hall, Lincoln Center.

Carnegie Hall may also be contacted for tickets at CarnegieCharge 212.247.7800. The Gerda Lissner Foundation is one of New York's most benevolent sources of support for young artists, stronger than ever under the guidance of its highly respected President Michael A. Fornabaio, and the Board of Trustees. The Gerda Lissner Foundation awarded $95,500 to 40 finalists chosen from over 326 competition applicants from 2024-2025 alone.