SAS Performing Arts Company and Studios, Inc. has announced the winners of its 2026 Vocal Competition.

The finals, which were on Oct. 25 at Marc Scorca Hall in the American Opera Center of Opera America in New York City, saw tenor Nathan Ramportl take home the the Charles and Edith Upton Award.

Meanwhile, Baritone Matthew Cossack won the Luana DeVol Award for Dramatic Voices, and soprano Brianna J. Robinson was the recipient of the LC Vaughn Memorial Sankofa Award for Emerging Artists. Illana Starr was awarded the Frank Surdi Award for Crossover Artistry.

Finally, Emerging Artist awards were given to sopranist Xavier Williams, tenor Juan Tello and baritone Hyun Woo Song.

Past winners of the SAS Vocal Competition have gone on to perform with such companies as New Orleans Opera, West Bay Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Detroit Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Tulsa Opera, St. Petersburg Opera, San Francisco Opera, Paris Opera, Staatsoper Berlin, Staatsoper Stuttgart and English National Opera.