Schmidt Vocal Arts (SVA) has announced the winners of its 2025–26 Texas Regional Competition, held on Oct. 18, 2025, at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

First place went to Gabriel Magallón of Houston, second to Enrique Castilleja of Rowlett, and third to Roxie Harris of Friendswood. The trio winners received $2,500, $2,000, and $1,500, respectively, and now advance to the National Competition in May 2026, where they become eligible for college scholarships through Schmidt Vocal Arts, which awards more than $500,000 annually to support higher education in music.

Encouragement Awards of $100 each were presented to Achilles Dan Dizon of Corpus Christi, Eleanor Flores of Alvin, and Andy Li of Dallas. The Most Promising Sophomore Award went to Navya Desai of Farmers Branch. Three singers—Ayyar, Choate, and Martinez—were also selected for a master class with the judges before the finals.

All the finalists, including Magallón, Castilleja, and Harris, each received $250 awards. The other finalists included Samyukth Ayyar, Grace Choate, and Eduardo Martinez.

In sum, 22 high school singers from across Texas competed for cash prizes and the opportunity to advance to the Schmidt Vocal Arts National Competition in May 2026. The jury included mezzo-soprano Dr. Soon Cho (Pacific Lutheran University), mezzo-soprano Dr. Jamie Van Eyck (Baylor University), and baritone Dr. Oliver Worthington (Butler University).

All Schmidt Vocal Arts programs are funded by the William E. Schmidt Foundation. The competitions have supported more than 6,500 young singers since its founding in 1997, awarding $650,000 in cash prizes and scholarships.

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