Arts & Culture

KY Schmidt Youth Vocal Contest Winners Named

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 28, 2009) - Three vocalists took home top honors at the Kentucky William E. Schmidt Youth Vocal Competition as 35 contestants from five states vied for $5,800 in cash awards at the contest held Oct. 10, at the University of Kentucky Singletary Center for the Arts.

The top three finalists selected at Kentucky’s third annual William E. Schmidt Youth Vocal Competition were: Jermaine Brown Jr., first place winner; Anne Hruskoci, second place winner; and Evan Johnson, third place winner. In addition to naming the three winners, some of the contest's 10 finalists also took home other prizes including the Encouragement, Most Promising Sophomore and Audience Favorite awards.

Judges for the youth vocal competition were renowned stage director Richard Kagey, who has directed a number of productions for UK Opera Theatre; mezzo-soprano and University of Miami (Ohio) professor Mari Opatz-Muni; and baritone and Loyola University voice professor Philip Frohnmayer. Frohnmayer, the subject of a special presentation at the event, also taught a masterclass in between the first and final rounds of the competition. 

Jermaine Brown Jr. is a senior at duPont Manual High School from Louisville, Ky. Brown won the $200 Audience Favorite Award, as well as being named the $2,000 first place winner.

Anne Hruskoci is a junior at Annandale High School from Annandale, Va. As the second place winner, she received a $1,500 award.

Evan Johnson is a senior from Pine Island, Minn. Johnson received a $1,000 award as the third place winner.

Four other contestants took semi-finalist honors and received $100 awards. Encouragement Awards were presented to Lexi Aimé, a senior at Wade Hampton High School/Fine Arts Center from Simpsonville, S.C.; Laura Salyer, a senior at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School from Lexington; and Sydney Steele, a senior at Lafayette High School from Lexington. The Most Promising Sophomore award went to Taylor Dant, a sophomore at duPont Manual High School from Louisville. 

The William E. Schmidt Youth Vocal Competition was established to encourage and nurture the pursuits of young people in the arts. Distinguished professors of voice and opera from major universities around the country judge the competitions and present a master class for the contestants. To be eligible to compete, students secure nominations from their voice teachers or choral directors.

Funding for the Schmidt Youth Vocal Competition comes from the William E. Schmidt Foundation. Schmidt is a successful entrepreneur who was born in Kentucky, lived several years in Indiana, and now resides in Sarasota, Fla., with his wife Casiana. The Schmidt Youth Vocal Competition began in 1992 in Indiana. In recent years more competition sites have been added in Florida, Kentucky, California, Ohio and Tennessee.   

UK Opera Theatre is the home office for the Schmidt Youth Vocal Competition and is currently coordinating the upcoming 2009 competitions in Tennessee, California, Florida and Indiana. For more information on upcoming competitions, visit www.schmidtcompetition.org.