Winners of 45th Annual George London Foundation Awards Competition Announced

The winners of the 45th annual George London Foundation Awards Competition for young American and Canadian opera singers were announced at the conclusion of the competition's final round this evening, which took place in a front of an audience at Gilder Lehrman Hall at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City.

A total of $73,000 was given in awards. After three days of preliminary auditions during which 85 singers were heard, 23 were selected as finalists. Of these, six were selected as winners of George London Awards of $10,000 each and nine were given George London Foundation Encouragement Awards of $1,000 each. The remaining eight finalists received $500 Honorable Mention awards.

George London Foundation President Nora London, center, with 2016 George London Award winners (left to right) A.J. Glueckert, Claudia Rosenthal, David Pershall, Kirsten MacKinnon, Antonina Chehovska, and Steven LaBrie.

Photo Credit: Shawn Ehlers

GEORGE LONDON AWARDS ($10,000 each):

Antonina Chehovska, soprano (29, Ukrainian-born) - George London-Leonie Rysanek Award
A.J. Glueckert, tenor (29, Portland, OR) - George London-Kirsten Flagstad Award (sponsored by the New York Community Trust) for a potential Wagnerian singer
Steven LaBrie, baritone (27, Dallas, TX) - George London Award in memory of Lloyd Rigler
Kirsten MacKinnon, soprano (25, Squamish, BC, Canada) - George London Award sponsored by Liliane and Robert Brochu (for a Canadian singer)
David Pershall, baritone (30, Temple, TX) - George London Award sponsored by Lloyd E. Rigler - Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation
Claudia Rosenthal, soprano (29, Scarsdale, NY) - George London Award sponsored by The Lissner Charitable Fund

GEORGE LONDON FOUNDATION ENCOURAGEMENT AWARDS ($1,000 each):

Justin Austin, baritone (25, German-born) (In memory of Robert Jacobson)
Jared Bybee, baritone (29, Modesto, CA) (In memory of Herbert J. Frank, sponsored by David Shustak)
Emily D'Angelo, mezzo-soprano (21, Toronto, Canada) (Sponsored by Liliane and Robert Brochu, for a Canadian singer)
Cecelia Hall, mezzo-soprano (31, Durham, NC) (In memory of Norma Newton)
John Matthew Myers, tenor (27, Lake Forest, CA) (Sponsored by the Lloyd E. Rigler - Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation)
Jacqueline Piccolino, soprano (24, Chicago, IL) (Sponsored by Henry and Diana Asher)
Colin Ramsey, bass (26, Greenwich, CT) (Sponsored by Sarah Billinghurst Solomon)
Michael Sumuel, bass-baritone (30, Odessa, TX) (In memory of Jaclyn Rendall Elyn, sponsored by Mark Elyn)
John Viscardi, baritone (32, New York, NY) (In memory of Theodore Uppman)

This year's panel of judges included soprano Harolyn Blackwell, former Metropolitan Opera administrator Alfred F. Hubay, George London Foundation President Nora London, tenor and voice professor George Shirley, baritone Richard Stilwell (who won a George London Award at the first competition, in 1971), and mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade. The competition pianist was renowned collaborative pianist Craig Rutenberg.

Since 1971, the annual competition of The George London Foundation for Singers has been giving its George London Awards, and a total of more than $2 million, to an outstanding roster of young American and Canadian opera singers who have gone on to international stardom - the list of past winners includes Christine Brewer, Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming, Christine Goerke, Catherine Malfitano, James Morris, Matthew Polenzani, Sondra Radvanovsky, Neil Shicoff, and Dawn Upshaw.

One of the oldest vocal competitions in the United States and Canada, the George London Foundation Awards Competition offers among the most substantial awards. As is seldom the case in musical competitions, no fee is charged to the applicants or competitors, a pianist is provided for the competition rounds, and prizes are awarded immediately.

The George London Foundation's 2015-16 season continues with the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the recital series, as well as the final duo recital of the season:

George London Foundation Celebration Concert: Twenty Years of Recitals In Collaboration with the Morgan on Wednesday, April 6, 2016, at 7:00 PM. Renowned Canadian tenor Ben Heppner is master of ceremonies for the starry event that features eight George London Award winners who are among opera's biggest stars, and one recent winner: Ailyn Pérez, soprano; Sondra Radvanovsky, soprano; Christine Brewer, soprano; Susanne Mentzer, mezzo-soprano; Matthew Polenzani, tenor; James Morris, bass-baritone; Eric Owens, bass-baritone; and Brandon Cedel, bass-baritone. Joining the singers on the recital stage will be two of the opera world's finest pianists, Ken Noda and Craig Rutenberg. The event also includes a festive post-concert reception.

Dimitri Pittas, tenor, and Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano, with Christopher Cano, piano. Dimitri Pittas is a 2004 George London Award winner; Jennifer Johnson Cano won her award in 2014. Sunday, May 15, 2016, at 4:00 PM.

The goal of the London Foundation, the support and nurturing of young singers, was an abiding interest of the great American bass-baritone George London, who devoted a great part of the time and energy of his later years to this purpose. "Remembering his difficult road to success, George wanted to devise a way to make the road a little easier for future generations of singers," said George London Foundation President Nora London. Initially created under the auspices of the National Opera Institute, the George London Awards program has been administered since 1990 directly by the Foundation as a living legacy to George London's own exceptional talent and generosity.