American Pops Orchestra & National Society Of Arts And Letters Present NEXTGEN: FINDING THE VOICES OF TOMORROW

Imagine seeing Stefani Germanotta perform before she became Lady Gaga. Or Beyoncé sing before she was famous. That's the vision for The American Pops Orchestra's "NextGen: Finding the Voices of Tomorrow."

On Saturday, March 9, APO's Jazz Quartet will perform as 30 semi-finalists from university programs compete to win the top title. Votes from a panel of judges and the audience will determine the best voice of tomorrow. The program will take place at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in Washington, D.C., beginning at 8 p.m.

Nia Savoy of Howard University was the first-place female winner last year. She says, "The honor of winning this title has really opened up new and exciting opportunities for me - the wind is at my back! I'm so grateful for Maestro Luke Frazier, APO and the Washington chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters for appreciating young voices and giving us the chance to highlight our talents."

The previous first-place male winner Evan LaChance of Catholic University just appeared as the lead singer in APO's production "An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly."

APO's mission is to present innovative programming, featuring groundbreaking concepts to develop and inspire a new audience to appreciate and enjoy live music. The National Society of Arts and Letters-Washington, D.C. Chapter is dedicated to supporting young talent in performing, literary and visual arts.

The judges will be Michael Bobbitt (Adventure Theatre-MT), Charles McKay (New York Festival of Song), Mary Michael Patterson ("The Phantom of the Opera"), and others.

APO's upcoming performances this season also include:

Here and Now: The Music of Luther Vandross" on April 6; and "I Am What I Am: The Music of Jerry Herman," on May 18.

Tickets and further details about all the performances are at www.theamericanpops.org.