Hal Leonard sponsors the Hal Leonard Vocal Competition for young classical and theatre singers, comprised entirely of YouTube video entries.
There were more than 1000 entries in the 2015 competition in two divisions: Art Song and Musical Theatre, with four age categories for each, children through college undergraduates. Hal Leonard gave away $10,000 in cash prizes and gift certificates to encourage singers to continue their vocal studies, and to recognize the good work of voice teachers.
First Place Winners for 2015 in Art Song: College/University undergraduates (ages 18-23): Samantha Hankey from The Juilliard School •High School Voices (ages 16-18): Nicole Koh from Daly City, California •Early Teen Voices (ages 13-15): Carly Cooney from Lake Oswego, Oregon •Children’s Voices (ages 12 and under): Emma-Brooke Alley from Lyman, South Carolina.
First Place Winners for 2015 in Musical Theatre: College/Young Adult Voices (ages 18-23): Jameelah Leaundra from Otterbein University • High School Voices (ages 16-18): Lily Lord from Falls Church, Virginia • Early Teen Voices (ages 13-15): Amalia Crevani from Milford, New Jersey •Children’s Voices (ages 12 and under): Ella Rutman from Austin, Texas.
Rick Walters, vice-president of Classical & Vocal Publications at Hal Leonard, states, “Unlike almost every other music competition, there is no entry fee or travel cost to an audition site. Singers from all over the U.S. and Canada can compete with others in their age group and view the videos online. We believe this to be the first legitimate vocal competition to be held entirely on the Internet. The feedback from students, teachers and parents has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Teachers tell us that no matter what the outcome, their students love participating in the competition.”
The deadline for entry for the 2016 Hal Leonard Vocal Competition is February 1. The rules, required repertoire and prizes, as well as top placing videos for 2015 and previous years may be found athttp://www.halleonard.com/vocalcomp
