THE 2014 HAL LEONARD VOCAL COMPETITION WINNERS
Hal Leonard, the world's largest print music publisher and the world leader in vocal music, launched the exciting and innovative concept of a serious music competition for voice students comprised entirely of YouTube video entries. We believe this to be the first legitimate music competition for musicians of various ages, children through college, to be held entirely on the Internet.
The required repertoire was largely drawn from art song and musical theatre literature. The deadline for entry was February 1, 2014.
Judging has been concluded, and we are pleased to announce the art song and musical theatre results in the four age categories of competition. Congratulations to the prize winners! We were encouraged by the commitment and seriousness of purpose shown in the video entries. If these are a representative sampling, there are clearly many dedicated students and teachers at all levels who have embraced our heritage of music literature. We thank all those who entered for confirming that this experimental venture was more than worthwhile. And we also thank the teachers and parents who guided the voice students in this competition. Thank you also to all the accompanists for their key participation.
View the Winning Videos
COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY VOICES, ART SONG - Undergraduates (AGES 18-23)
First Place
JACK SWANSON
School: University of Oklahoma
Pianist: Lorne Richstone
Voice Teacher: Linda Esther Gray
Second Place (tie)
ERIC FERRING
School: Drake University
Pianist: Michelle Havlik-Jergens
Voice Teacher: Leanne Freeman-Miller
Second Place (tie)
ALEXANDRA NOWAKOWSKI
School: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Pianist: Casey Dierlam
Voice Teacher: Cynthia Haymon
Third Place (tie)
STEPHEN MICHAEL HANNA
School: Stephen F. Austin State Universityc
Pianist: Geneva Fungn
Voice Teacher: Scott LaGraff
Third Place (tie)
NATHANIEL SULLIVAN
School: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Pianist: Kurt Knecht
Voice Teacher: Alisa Belflower
Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically)
LEE CLAPP
KAITLYN JOHNSON
JOSEPH LEPPEK
ELIZABETH SYWULKA
School: Manhattan School of Music
Watch Video
HIGH SCHOOL VOICES, ART SONG - AGES 16-18
First Place
OLIVIA COSIO
Location: San Francisco, California
Pianist: Ben Malkevitch
Voice Teacher:Todd Wedge
Second Place
SARAH CLEMENTINE MIRE
Location: Wolfforth, Texas
Pianist: Regina Shea
Voice Teacher: Rebecca Wascoe
Third Place (tie)
CAITLIN HALE DANIELS
Location: Dallas, Texas
Pianist: Szu-Ying Huang
Voice Teacher: Linda DiFiore
Third Place (tie)
NATHAN KESSEL
Location: Worcester, Massachusetts
Pianist: Olga Rogach
Voice Teacher: Stanley Wilson
Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically)
HAYLEY BOGGS
NICOLE BURKE
HANNAH KILPATRICK
MONICA MUSIC
MARY GRACE NASIM
EARLY TEEN VOICES, ART SONG - AGES 13-15
First Place
BENJAMIN WENZELBERG
Location: Tenafly, New Jersey
Pianist: Glenn Gordon
Voice Teacher: Amelia DeMayo
Second Place (tie)
CARLY COONEY
Location: Lake Oswego, Oregon
Pianist: Daniel Buchanan
Voice Teacher: Angela Niederloh
Second Place (tie)
KARLI FORTE
Location: Fremont, Indiana
Pianist: Jeri Mow
Voice Teacher: Lynn Syler
Third Place (tie)
NICOLE KELLY
Location: West Palm Beach, Florida
Voice Teacher: Craig Wich
Third Place (tie)
CAITLYN McCONNELL
Location: Silverdale, Washington
Pianist: Cassie Gillis
Voice Teacher: Susan Trainer
Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically)
MARY ELIZABETH ADLER
MADISON BEASLEY
NATALIE DULLERUD
MADISON FITZPATRICK
SALONI RAO
CHILDREN'S VOICES, ART SONG - AGES 12 AND UNDER
First Place
MADELIN MORALES
Location: Fairfield, New Jersey
Pianist: Michael Fennelly
Voice Teacher: Jeanai LaVita
Second Place (tie)
EMMA BROOKE ALLEY
Location: Lyman, South Carolina
Pianist: Valerie MacPhail
Voice Teacher: Valerie MacPhail
Second Place (tie)
SHERIDAN ARCHBOLD
Location: Yorkville, Illinois
Voice Teacher: Rachel Olson
Third Place (tie)
LEXI LANNI
Location: Bristol, Rhode Island
Pianist: Madeline Grace
Voice Teacher: Elizabeth Grace
Third Place (tie)
LAUREN MAGEE
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Voice Teacher: Pamela Riley
Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically)
YOUNG ADULT VOICES, MUSICAL THEATRE - Undergraduates (AGES 18-23)
First Place
MICHAEL HEWITT
School: University of Denver Lamont School of Music
Pianist: Joshua Sawicki
Voice Teacher: Kenneth Cox
Second Place (tie)
BRITTANY HOWK
School: Arizona State University
Pianist: Curtis Moeller
Voice Teacher: Carole FitzPatrick
Second Place (tie)
YAZID PIERCE-GRAY
School: DePauw University
Pianist: Amanda Hopson
Voice Teacher: Caroline B. Smith
Third Place (tie)
JOEL BAUMAN
School: Messiah College
Pianist: Daniel Dorty
Voice Teacher: Elaine Henderson
Third Place (tie)
ANGELA GILBERT
School: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Pianist: Kurt Knecht
Voice Teacher: Alisa Belflower
Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically)
HIGH SCHOOL VOICES, MUSICAL THEATRE - AGES 16-18
First Place
BENJAMIN WALKER
Location: Wilmington, Delaware
Pianist: Lisa Papili
Voice Teacher: Marian Johnson-Healy
Second Place (tie)
JILLIAN CAILLOUETTE
Location: Meriden, Connecticut
Pianist: Sean Pallatroni
Voice Teacher: Stacy Perrone Petta
Second Place (tie)
EMILY CIPRIANI
Location: Westerville, Ohio
Pianist: Stephanie Henkle
Voice Teacher: Stephanie Henkle
Third Place (tie)
JULIA QUANDT
Location: Seattle, Washington
Pianist: Serena Chin
Voice Teacher: Madeline Bersamina
Third Place (tie)
LILY LORD
Location: Falls Church, Virginia
Pianist: Ed Roberts
Voice Teacher: Muriel VonVillas
Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically)
MICHELLE ANNE BAILEY
CASSIDY GALLOWAY
DEVON HAYAKAWA
HANNAH KILPATRICK
Location: Wading River, New York
Watch Video
LINDSAY ROLLAND-MILLS
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Watch Video
EARLY TEEN VOICES, MUSICAL THEATRE - AGES 13-15
First Place
ALISON POGORELC
Location: Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
Pianist: Diane Kachelmeier
Voice Teacher: Helen Ceci
Second Place
EMMA LEE
Location: Bolingbrook, Illinois
Voice Teacher: Greg Lee
Third Place (tie)
EMMA JOANIS
Location: Windham, New Hampshire
Pianist: Glenn Gordon
Voice Teacher: Amelia DeMayo Group
Third Place (tie)
SARAH LAWLER
Location: Barrington, New Jersey
Pianist: Melissa Daniels
Voice Teacher: Melissa Daniels
Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically)
MELINDA ORENGO
JESSICA VANEK
CHILDREN'S VOICES, MUSICAL THEATRE - AGES 12 AND UNDER
First Place
OLIVIA LOMBARDI
Location: Rye Brook, New York
Voice Teacher: Amelia DeMayo
Second Place (tie)
MADELIN MORALES
Location: Fairfield, New Jersey
Pianist: Michael Fennelly
Voice Teacher: Jeanai LaVita
Second Place (tie)
ADRIANA SERRA
Location: Mississauga, Ontario
Voice Teacher: Kinga Mitrowska & Jeanai LaVita
Third Place (tie)
CORMAC CULLINANE
Location: Fresh Meadows, New York
Pianist: Gulnara Mitzanova
Voice Teacher: Amelia DeMayo
Third Place (tie)
AKIRA GOLZ
Location: Hopewell Junction, New York
Voice Teacher: Amelia DeMayo