The Gerda Lissner Foundation has announced that mezzo-soprano Erin Wagner is the first prize winner of the 2024 Lieder / Song Vocal Competition.

“I am so immensely grateful and honored to have been awarded First Prize in this year’s Gerda Lissner Foundation Lieder Competition,” said Wagner, a winner of the 2021 Naumburg Foundation Vocal Award, per an official press release. “Song has always been a source of joy and inspiration for me and I feel so grateful to The Gerda Lissner Foundation for their support of this deeply important art form and for their belief in my artistry.”

Wagner is also an alumna of the Houston Grand Opera Studio and is set to make her Metropolitan Opera debut this fall in “Die Frau ohne Schatten.” She is also working with the Brooklyn Arts Song Series, the Brazos Valley Symphony, the Maryland Symphony, and the New York Festival of Song, among others.

Coming in second was Michael J. Butler while Bridget Esler was awarded the third-place finish. Ashlyn Rock was given the Judges’ Special Prize Sponsored by Michele T. Classe.

These four artists will present a concert at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall on April 30, 2025. They will be joined by the winners of the Gerda Lissner Foundation’s 2025 International Vocal Competition.

Grant Award Winners included Kerrigan Bigelow, Ruby Dibble, Titus Muzi III, and Tivoli Treloar.

Finally, Gabrielle Barkidjija, Sarah Fleiss, Sofia Gotch, Sunghoon Han, Evan Lazdowski, , Luna Seongeun Park, Maggie Renee, Ashley Marie Robillard, Kayla R. Stein, Adriana Stepien, Lisl Wangermann, and Lucas Zuehl were Encouragement Award Winners.

“We are delighted to continue our tradition of recognizing exceptional young vocal artists,” noted Michael A. Fornabaio, President of The Gerda Lissner Foundation. “The Lieder/Song Vocal Competition offers a unique platform for singers to showcase their artistry and delve into the intricacies of the art song repertoire.”