Don't miss "California Dreamin': The Songs of SongFest", Kathleen Roland-Silverstein's recent NATS Journal of Singing article featuring SongFest and a few of our recent commissions and world premieres by the best of American song composers working in the field today, all with sheet music readily available should you be so inspired!
Read More6 Tips for a Successful Song Audition from Associate Artistic Director Matthew Morris
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.
Read MoreSongFest alumnae win 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in Ziering-Conlon Art Song Competition!
This past Sunday, December 6th, six finalists chosen from an international pool of over two hundred singers and pianists competed in the first ever Young Artist Art Song Competition of the Ziering-Conlon Initiative at the Colburn School. An independent jury of experts in the field selected the three SongFest alumnae in the finals to win 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
Read MoreThree SongFest alumnae compete in the finals of the first ever art song competition hosted by the Ziering-Conlon Initiative at the Colburn School! →
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.
Read MoreA rave review for SongFest faculty Edwin Cahill & Matthew Patrick Morris, and alumni Jeremy Hirsch and Mikayla Sager!
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...
Read MorePulitzer Prize-winning composer Shulamit Ran has been chosen for our 2016 Sorel Commission!
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.
Read MoreSongFest is proud to welcome three new faculty in 2016!
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.
Read MoreSongFest faculty Susanne Mentzer sings with Music for Life International at Carnegie Hall
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.
Read MoreAnnouncing the SongFest 2016 20th Anniversary Season!
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!
Read MoreAlumni News
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.
Read MoreColburn School’s Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices to Host National Young Artist Competition
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.
Read MoreDon't miss three SongFest alumni in the Joy in Singing 2015 Artist Award Winners NYC Debut Recital!
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/
Read MoreA rave review from the LA Times for a "Celestial SongFest" 2015! →
"...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..."
Read MoreThank you for a successful SongFest 2015!
Thank you for an incredible SongFest 2015! Check back in September for news about our 20th anniversary festival in 2016!
Read MoreA note from Graham Johnson on the passing of award-winning author and SongFest's great angel, Marcia Brown
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.
Read More