The Wagner Society of New York ⁦has announced the 2025 singer awards. 

This year’s winners included mezzo-soprano Sadie Cheslak, who won the Robert Lauch Memorial Fund Award of $6,000, and tenor Alec Carlson the Ursula Springer Award of $3,000.

Encouragement grants of $1,000 were awarded to Michael Deshield and Allyson Bennett, while Encouragement grants of $500 were given to Lynnesha Crump,  Kate Farrar, Ani Kushyan, Danielle Lombardi, Ema Mitrovic, Celeste Morales, and Johannes Schwarz.

The awards are handed to singers who are promising in the Wagner repertoire. Final auditions were held at Merkin Hall on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 for the first time with an audience of Wagner Society of New York members who generously donated to our new Fund for Singers.

The judging panel comprised Cori Ellison, co-Chair, Tyson Deaton, co-Chair, Deborah Surdi, co-Chair, Ken Benson, and Roger Malouf. Jane Eaglen was the special guest judge.

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