Voices of Tomorrow: The National Competition for Voice

Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center echoed with arias on Saturday night. Inside, Holley Hall was packed. It was pushing 10 p.m., but no parking lot exodus ensued. A rapt audience listened as 12 gifted young vocal students from around the country sang their hearts out. They were the finalists of the National Competition for Voice, an event presented by Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota.

Music educators and experts narrowed down 66 talented applicants to the final 12, in a series of elimination trials. Tonight,  seven contestants would walk home with a total of $26,000.

Who wins and who doesn’t? It’s never an easy decision.

Lee Dougherty Ross, the director of outreach and competitions for Artist Series Concerts, knows. As she said during intermission, “Saying ‘no’ to any of these young musicians is the hardest part of what we do. The level of talent is amazing.”

Dougherty Ross added that this year, the level of talent was higher than ever. The Artist Series has presented these competitions for the past 14 years, rotating between vocalists, pianists and string-instrument players in a three-year cycle. Past competitions were limited to Florida residents. This year, the Artist Series opened it up to participants from around the nation, attracting applicants from 16 states.

“Many are studying at the nation’s top music conservatories,” says Dougherty Ross. “Who’s the best? It’s a very tough decision.”

The judges making the hard call were: Mikael Eliasen, artistic director and dean of vocal studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia; soprano Irene Gubrud, a first-prize winner of the Naumburg International Voice Competition; and renowned tenor George Shirley, who had been presented the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama, in 2015.

The judges watched with enthusiasm, careful not to telegraph their decisions in advance. The audience didn’t try to hide its enthusiasm. Soaring compositions by Grieg, Handel, Berg, Bridge and others had transported them to another place. The repertoire included opera and oratory arias and songs in foreign languages and English.

At last, the final song was sung and the students lined up at the edge of the stage, big smiles on their faces and expectant looks in their eyes.

“Are they not fabulous?” asked Ross.

The audience agreed — answering with applause, and at last, the judges announced the winners.

“Your singing has filled our hearts with joy,” said Ross. “Keep on singing forever!”