Manhattan School Of Music Announces 2017 Vocal Competition Winners

By Francisco Salazar

The Manhattan School of Music Vocal competition winner has been announced.

Baritone Benjamin Dickerson won the 2017 first-place winner of the prestigious Manhattan School of Music Alan M. and Joan Taub Ades Vocal Competition. He received his Bachelor of Music from MSM in December 2016 and the prize included $35,000 towards his professional development.

Second place for the annual award given to outstanding talent at Manhattan School of Music (MSM) was presented to baritone Michael Gracco, who is currently in his senior year of a Bachelor of Music degree at MSM. Meanwhile, third place was shared by baritones Fernando Cisneros and Christian Thurston, both in their final year of a Master of Music degree at MSM. Sopranos Eleanor Coleman and Angela Joy Lamb, also in their final year of study at MSM for Master of Music degrees, received Honorable Mention citations.

The  Competition showcases six – eight finalists each year and is for MSM voice students who exhibit outstanding talent and strong potential for careers in opera. Only very recent graduates or students graduating in May are permitted to participate in the Competition. 

The distinguished judges for this year’s competition were Peter H. Carwell, Executive Director of the Richard Tucker Music Foundation, F. Paul Driscoll, the Editor-in-Chief of Opera News, and mezzo-soprano Rosalind Elias.

Categories

News