49th Annual Lyndon Woodside Oratorio Solo Competition Winners Announced at Carnegie Hall

The Oratorio Society of New York has announced the winners of the 49th Lyndon Woodside Oratorio Solo Competition, following the finals held on April 18, 2026 at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

Tenor Philippe Durrant was awarded first place, receiving the Robert E. Ludwig Award. Soprano Haeyeon Lee was named second place recipient of the Meyerson/Zwanger Award, and mezzo-soprano Devony Smith received third place with the Janet Plucknett Award. Additional awards were presented to Matthew Dexter (Watson Family Award), Veronica Roan (William Grogan Award), Ryan Lustgarten (Robert & Winifred Connelly Green Award), Melanie Spector (Leopold O. Damrosch Award), and Erinn Sensenig (Oratorio Society Community Prize).

The eight finalists were selected from a pool of 135 applicants representing multiple countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, South Korea, and Spain. The finalists performed a program of oratorio repertoire spanning composers including Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Igor Stravinsky, accompanied by pianist Amir Farid.

The judging panel for the finals included representatives from leading musical institutions and organizations, including IMG Artists, Yale School of Music, Cantori New York, Musica Sacra, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

Now in its 49th year, the Lyndon Woodside Oratorio Solo Competition is recognized as one of the longest-running competitions dedicated to the oratorio repertoire. Past winners have included artists such as Jakub Józef Orliński, Jacquelyn Stucker, Davóne Tines, Sasha Cooke, and Brian Mulligan.

Founded in 1873, the Oratorio Society of New York continues to present choral performances at Carnegie Hall and beyond, including its annual performances of Handel’s Messiah, a tradition that has continued uninterrupted for more than 150 years.