Announcing the Winners of the 2022 High School Vocal Competition
The Opera Guild of Dayton’s annual High School Vocal Competition returned this year in a virtual format due to COVID-19 restrictions. Chaired by Opera Guild board member Dr. David Sievers, the competition had video submissions by 16 singers from across Ohio. The judges were Kathleen Clawson, Artistic Director of Dayton Opera; Dr. Minnita Daniel-Cox from the University of Dayton; and Dr. Benjamin Smolder from Miami University (OH). The winners are:
First Place ($800): Luis Vega-Torres
Luis Vega-Torres is a junior at Indian Hill High School in Cincinnati and studies voice with Kathy Cammett.
Second Place ($450): Emelia Aceto
Emelia Aceto studies with Denise Milner-Howell and is a junior at Highland High School in Hinckley.
Third Place ($300): Luke Randazzo
Luke Randazzo studies with Kathy Cammett and is a senior at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati.
Honorable Mention ($150 each): Ryan Gibson, Keira Steele, Emmalee Yoho-Dodge
Ryan Gibson attends Stivers School for the Arts in Dayton and is a senior studying with Jarrod Davis.
Keira Steele is a junior at the Stivers School for the Arts in Dayton and studies with Jarrod Davis.
Emmalee Yoho-Dodge studies with Tifton Graves at the Stivers School for the Arts in Dayton where she is a senior.
Congratulations to all the winners!
Competition Details
The Opera Guild of Dayton’s annual High School Vocal Competition took place this year as a virtual competition. Students in the 11th and 12th grades living in Ohio were encouraged to apply. The judges this year were Dr. Minnita Daniel-Cox from the University of Dayton, Mr. Benjamin Smolder from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio), and Ms. Kathleen Clawson, artistic director of Dayton Opera.
High School Vocal Competition Requirements
1. Performance of two memorized selections. Selections may come from operatic, art song or musical theater literature. Please contact the chair, Dr. David Sievers at dsievers1@udayton.edu for any questions regarding repertoire.
2. You need to submit the following to us at dsievers1@udayton.edu:
a. YouTube links of your two selected performances
b. A musical resume that lists your musical experiences and accomplishments
c. A completed Photo and Video Release Form
d. A headshot (it need not be professionally done) (optional)
3. Please click here to reach the resource guide for recording. Please click here for the Photo and Video Release Form.
4. Total performance time of both submissions should not exceed ten minutes.
5. Each application must be fully completed, including the photo release form.
6. Students must be in the 11th or 12th grades during the 2021-2022 school year and must be residents of the state of Ohio.
7. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 1, 2022.
8. Winners will be announced no later than Friday, April 15, 2022.
Awards
First Place…………………………………………….. $800
Second Place………………………………………….. $450
Third Place……………………………………………. $300
If you have questions or seek further information:
MAIL or EMAIL:
Dr. David Sievers
Opera Guild of Dayton High School Vocal Competition Chair
dsievers1@udayton.edu
300 College Park
Dayton, OH 45469-0290
Telephone: 937/229-4971
The Guild extends a huge Thank You to The Norma J. Ross Memorial Foundation for sponsoring this Competition many times in recent years.
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Amy Helms
David Lewis
Trinity Hines-Anthony
2019 High School Vocal Competition
The Opera Guild of Dayton held the 2019 High School Vocal Competition on Saturday, March 23, at the Fitz Center at the University of Dayton. This is always an exciting annual event featuring vocal talent and providing monetary awards for the best performances. Dr. David Sievers of the University of Dayton acted as chair for the Competition.
The winner of this year’s Competition is soprano Amy Helms, a senior from Kings High School in Maineville, Ohio. Baritone David Lewis picked up second place honors and soprano Trinity Hines-Anthony was the third place winner. Both David and Trinity attend Stivers School for the Arts. Honorable Mention goes to lyric soprano Elyse Schmidt from Beavercreek High School and soprano Olivia Helman from Granville High School. Congratulations to all.
The judges for this year’s Competition were: Andrea Chenoweth Wells, University of Dayton; Linda Snyder, emeritus University of Dayton; and Jamie Cordes, Wright State University. Dr. Sievers and the judges are members of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, which celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding on the day of the Competition. Funding for the prize money awarded for the Competition came from the Norma J. Ross Foundation.
The Guild and Dr. Sievers heartily say:
2018 High School Vocal Competition
The Guild held its 2018 High School Vocal Competition in Sears Recital Hall on the University of Dayton campus on March 24, 2018. Over twenty outstanding area students sang with skill and emotion to display a varied repertoire of musical selections. Winning first place was soprano Lauren Maynus (left), a junior at Ursuline Academy in Cincinnati. Baritone Reed Gnepper (center), a junior at the School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, earned the second place honors. Third place went to Alaya Hinesmon (right), a senior at Stivers School for the Arts in Dayton. Honorable Mention was awarded to soprano Caroline Cruise, a senior from Olentangy Liberty High School in Columbus, and to baritone David Lewis, a junior at Stivers School for the Arts.
The cash awards for this year’s Competition were once again funded by the generosity of the Norma J. Ross Youth Foundation. The Guild is grateful that this fund has supported the High School Vocal Competition for many years.
Dr. David Sievers chaired this important Competition. The judges include: Dr. Minnita Daniel-Cox (right), soprano and coordinator of the voice area at the University of Dayton; Dr. Andrea Chenoweth Wells (left), artist-in-residence at the University of Dayton; and Sarah Bucher (center), soprano and private voice teacher. Many Guild volunteers helped make the day so successful. They included Judy Hudson, Nora Stang, Kathy Brown, Patrick and Suzanne Crippen. Dr. Sievers elicited the assistance of several enthusiastic UD music students and accompanists. Thanks to them all.
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2017 High School Vocal Competition
Opera Guild of Dayton held its annual High School Vocal Competition on March 18, 2017, at Fairmont Presbyterian Church. The Chair of the Competition, Dr. David Sievers from the University of Dayton, orchestrated the details for this special event. The judges for this year’s Competition were: Dr. Minnita Daniel-Cox from the University of Dayton, tenor Brian Skoog with Dayton Opera’s Artists-in-Residence and Alice Hotopp who is a private vocal coach.
A big congratulations to all 20 singers who performed in the Competition. They all sang very well and did a great job; kudos to all of them!
- The First-Place ($600) winner was Anna Hlinomaz from Centerville High School.
- The Second-Place ($450) winner was Galen Adkins from Lebanon High School.
- The Third-Place ($300) winner was Destiny Donelson from Stivers School for the Arts.
The Guild wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Norma J. Ross Youth Foundation for its donation of the $1,350 which funded the awards. Norma’s Foundation has presented these award dollars for many years now. Our sincere thanks go out for their assistance.
There were two Honorable Mention winners: Anna Greco from Lakota West High School and Sara Lavilla from Beavercreek High School. Thanks to a generous gift by Dr. Minnita Daniel-Cox, the Honorable Mention winners will each receive a full scholarship to attend the 2017 University of Dayton Vocal Performance Institute held in June.
Anna Hlinomaz 