THE AMERICAN PRIZE
in Vocal Performance 

Friedrich & Virginia Schorr
Memorial Awards, 2017

NATIONAL COMPETITIONS
evaluate recordings 
 


Professional, college,
community, high school.
No age limits.

Opera & operetta
Art song & oratorio

MET Opera star Susanne Mentzer
joins judging panel

In This Issue
Judge SUSANNE MENTZER
EASY online options
WHY DO so many apply?
To Share this Email
Praise for the Prize
Gifts to TAP
Quick Links
The American Prize WEBSITE

WINNERS

JUDGES

The American Prize Blog

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Contact Us
HCMT The American Prize
David Katz, chief judge
25 Hamilton Drive, Suite 100
The Opera Cottage
Danbury, Connecticut 06811
203 746-2694
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to receive "On TAP," the most up-to-date news from
The American Prize.
 
You and your students have recordings. The American Prize wants to hear them.



  
Tuesday, March 28, 2017 is the postmark deadline for The American Prize in Vocal Performance.
  
The American Prize provides evaluation, recognition and reward to America's finest performing artists, ensembles and composers.  

The American Prize has awarded more than $40,000 in all categories since 2010, and has welcomed applications from 49 U.S. states, and from American citizens living around the world.
  • No live competition. The American Prize judges recorded performances only.
  • No age limits.
 
In an age when the performing arts are more marginalized than ever before and media coverage harder than ever to get, The American Prize provides the visibility and recognition you need to stand out from the rest. All finalists receive written evaluations from a member of our distinguished panel of judges.
Contests in:
  • art song / oratorio
  • opera / operetta

DEADLINE for vocalists:
Tuesday, March 28,  2017 
for those who need more time to prepare materials,
EXTENSIONS are available by emailing your request to [email protected]
     
 
COMPLETE information on our website:
Friedrich & Virginia Schorr Memorial Awards
  
Schorr at Bayreuth 
The American Prize in Vocal Performance--Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Awards, honors the memory of the greatest Wagnerian baritone of his age, Friedrich Schorr, who commanded the operatic stage between the world wars, and his wife, Virginia Schorr, who taught studio voice at the Manhattan School of Music and the Hartt School of Music for nearly fifty years. The Prize recognizes and rewards the best performances by classically trained vocalists in America in 2017, based on submitted recordings.   
 
 
Questions?
  
In 2015, TAP welcomed Metropolitan Opera Star,
SHARON SWEET, as a new judge.

Now, we welcome acclaimed mezzo-soprano SUSANNE MENTZER to join her and our distinguished panel.

Susanne Menzter
The American Prize national non-profit competitions in the performing arts is delighted to welcome SUSANNE MENTZER, internationally acclaimed Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano, to its distinguished national panel of judges.

American mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer has established herself not only as an international singer but also as a writer, teacher and arts advocate.
 
She enjoys a significant opera, concert, chamber music and recital career of over thirty years appearing on four continents with nearly every great opera house and orchestra. She has been a guest artist at the Metropolitan Opera in leading roles since 1989, most recently as Marcellina in the new production of Le Nozze di Figaro in the fall of 2014. She returned to the Met in February and March of 2016.

Click here for full story.
 
NOW!
ONLINE OPTIONS make it easier
than ever to apply.
ican MAJOR website improvements mean a faster, more convenient experience for all contestants.

NOW---you now have the option to pay application fees online - or the traditional way: by check, credit card or money order. NO application fee increase in 2017.

NOW---you now have the option to provide online links to your audition selections, or you may send your recordings through the mail.

NOW---you now have the option to fill out the application on your computer and email it directly to the office, or print it out, fill it in and send by mail.

QUESTIONS? [email protected]

 
Our ad is Classical Singer Magazine 
WHY do  
SO MANY
classical VOCALISTS
participate
multiple years in
The American Prize?

* No live competition. The American Prize judges recorded performance only.

* No age limits.

* Separate divisions for professional, college/university, community,
or high school age artists.

* Few repertoire restrictions.

* Expert written evaluations to all contestants who rank "finalist" or higher.

* Personalized certificates to all participants.

* Personalized press releases for winners sent to your professional contacts.

* Cash prizes up to $500.

* Published timelines for the announcement of semi-finalists, finalists and winners.

* 1-page application form.

* Low application fees.

* Not-for-profit organization.

The American Prize is more than monetary. Laureates of The American Prize at all levels of achievement derive local, regional and national recognition to help generate jobs, build audiences and sustain careers.
 
Questions?
[email protected]

 


ABOUT our JUDGES:

The distinguished judges of The American Prize are as varied in skills and experience and nearly as geographically diverse as we hope the winners of The American Prize to be. They are assigned to specific competitions based on expertise, availability and areas of interest.

 

CLICK for JUDGE BIOS 


Read a SAMPLE EVALUATION by JAY WHITE, TAP judge and
8-year member of CHANTICLEER:
 JAY WHITE, eight-year veteran of the Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble, CHANTICLEER, and a distinguished member of the judging panel for The American Prize, shares an evaluation he wrote for a recent finalist for The American Prize in Vocal Performance-Friedrich & Virginia Schorr Memorial Awards. Read the evaluation here. 
 
TO SHARE THIS EMAIL:
brenda lewis
Brenda Lewis, TAP Distinguished Judge Emerita





If you wish to share this information with colleagues and students, please use the email link at the bottom of the page, or email us for a direct link: [email protected]
 
PRAISE for the PRIZE

From individual artists
(composers, pianists and singers):

"THANK YOU for your work with The American Prize...This is a wonderful service to the profession and to arts in our country."

"I gratefully accept this wonderful honor!  I know the competition was outstanding this year, making this all the more special."

"...and also a big thank you for the work you are doing to bring new positive attention to the work of so many musical artists."

"I was really touched by the judges' comments...(the) recognition is giving me the opportunity to promote my music in a way that has not been possible so far. Thank you again for creating such a
generous project."

"I cannot express all the happiness and honor I feel right now. It is a delight to be in the top 3 composers of this very prestige competition."

"Again, thank you so much for granting me such great honor... In a rather short time this has already brought much attention to my work
and for that I am grateful."

"Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity
to grow as an artist!"

"Thank you so much...for such a great experience participating in the competition."

"Thank you so much for organizing this event. This recognition for my work was completely unexpected but I assure you, very much appreciated."

Gifts to THE AMERICAN PRiZE
Your donation to HCMT/The American Prize is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law and will be used solely to fund prizes to artists and ensembes. Gifts received through this newsletter are never used for administrative purposes. CLICK here to support The American Prize