There have been a few wonderfully written tips for successful opera auditions that have circulated on the internet recently thanks to many smart and savvy sources such as Kim Witman at Wolf Trap Opera.

It occurred to me on my third year of hearing SongFest auditions across the country, that just as art song is a slightly different animal than opera, auditioning for art song is a slightly different animal than auditioning for opera, and so perhaps these “6 Tips for a Successful Art Song Audition” might be a helpful addendum cousin to the great opera audition resources that are already out there.

Six young singers have been chosen to participate in the final round of the Young Artist Competition for Performance of Art Song. Finalists include Songfest alumnae soprano Kristina Bachrach, mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo, and mezzo-soprano Quinn Middleman, along with bass-baritone Calvin Griffin, soprano Julia Metzler, and bass-baritone Matthew Scollin.

SongFest would like to congratulate director Edwin Cahill and baritone/Masetto Matthew Patrick Morris as well as Leporello understudy/chorus Jeremy Hirsch as well as Zerlina understudy/chorus Mikayla Sager on their recent production of Don Giovanni in New York City. Opera News heralded the production as: "by far the most enjoyable and thought-provoking Don Giovanni New York has heard in many a year: Cahill’s concept proved multi-layered and insightful." And the Huffington Post declared: "one of the best Don Giovannis I have ever seen...

SongFest is thrilled to announce that Pulitzer Prize-winnig composer Shulamit Ran will be writing a new song cycle for our 20th anniversary season this June, thanks to the generous support of the Sorel Organization.

SongFest is honored to announce new faculty for 2016: internationally known pedagogues baritone William McGraw of the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, soprano Karen Holvik of the New England Conservatory, and voice and body work teacher John Norris of the Berlin Staatsoper studio and Bavarian State Opera Studio.

If you were at Carnegie Hall yesterday & were touched by the music & poetry, please take action now to end violence against women and girls. scheherazadeinitiative.org/make-a-donation/ Photo © Chris Lee, used with permission.

From a revamped logo and release of our first CD under the newly minted SongFest Records, to welcoming new faculty baritone William McGraw, soprano Karen Holvik, and composers William Bolcom and John Harbison to our roster of distinguished artist-teachers and pedagogues, as well as concerts like the three part series An Encyclopedia of Song A - Z curated and coached by Graham Johnson, this season is not to be missed!

Our alumni are making beautiful music across the United States and internationally. Recent graduate successes include:

Clarissa Lyons (Stern Fellow '10) has been selected to join the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera.

Abigail Levis ('08) has been selected to join the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program at LA Opera

Ian Mcuen (Stern Fellow '12) has joined the roster of ADA artist management.

The Ziering-Conlon Initiative at the Colburn School will hold its first-ever national Young Artist Competition during the fall of 2015. The focus will be on Art Song, with a public final round hosted by James Conlon in Zipper Hall on Sunday, December 6, 2015. Cash prizes totaling $12,000 will be distributed. All finalists will receive a cash prize, with $5,000 and a fully underwritten residency at SongFest 2016 going to the first prize winner.

Monday, October 19th @ 7:30pm in Merkin Concert Hall NYC. Three Songfest alumni will be featured in the Joy in Singing 2015 Artist Award Recital: baritone Steven Eddy, soprano Lilla Heinrich Szász, and pianist Dimitri Dover.

For more information and tickets: http://www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/joy-in-singing-2015-artist-award-recital/

"...This town has never been much of a capital of the art song. SongFest 2015 aims to change all that, if only for a month."

"...The festival has become increasingly impressive...."

"...the performers...sounded amazing..."

Thank you for an incredible SongFest 2015! Check back in September for news about our 20th anniversary festival in 2016!

SongFest mourns the loss of a great lady, author, music lover, and angel of SongFest. The 2015 festival will be dedicated to the beloved memory of Marcia Brown, and in gratitude and homage to her partner Janet Loranger who is still with us today.  

Grammy award-winning composer Libby Larsen will premiere her new work, The Birth Song Cycle, at SongFest 2015 this summer! Sopranos Gwen Coleman Detwiler and Audrey Luna, for whom the work was commissioned, will collaborate with internationally-known pianist Lydia Brown in performing this cutting edge composition, giving fresh and current perspective on this powerful subject.