Schmidt Vocal Arts Announces Winners of 2025 National Vocal Competition

(Photo Courtesy of Schmidt Vocal Arts)

Schmidt Vocal Arts (SVA), the premier national organization supporting early-career classical singers, announces the winners of its fourth annual National Vocal Competition for high school singers, held at the Sarasota Opera House on May 31 and June 1 in Sarasota, Florida. A distinguished panel of adjudicators from the opera field—mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, countertenor John Holiday, and Melissa Wegner, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and the Laffont Competition— judged the final round of the competition. The three top prizes were awarded to: Savannah Weldon, soprano, from New York, NY First Place: $10,000Taylor-Marie Robinson soprano, from Greenville, SC Second Place: $7,500Jane Hasty, soprano, from Burbank, CA Third Place: $5,000Six encouragement awards of $300 were given to: Camilo Ayadi, tenor, from Denver, CO Caroline Jacobson, mezzo-soprano, from Houston, TX Milos Mrvaljevic, baritone, from Chicago, IL Lucas Palys, baritone, from Dallas, TX Callie Chae Pyken, mezzo-soprano, from San Marino, CA Casey Schopflacher, countertenor, from New York, NY Each finalist was awarded $650. “Congratulations to all of our competitors and our winners! Your talent, hard work, and passion for the art form radiated through each and every note” said Linda McAlister, executive director of Schmidt Vocal Arts. “The Schmidt Vocal Arts family looks forward to supporting all of these gifted young singers as they continue their artistic growth.” 2025 Finalists: Cooper Bott, baritone, Williamsburg Jr.-Sr. High School, Marengo, IAMaeve Cunningham, soprano, Ridgewood High School, Ridgewood, NJValentina Gomez, soprano, New World School of the Arts, Miami, FL Jane Hasty, soprano, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Burbank, CA Caroline Jacobson, mezzo-soprano, Klein High School, Klein, TXAnanya Kaushal, mezzo-soprano, Baldwin School, Newtown Square, PAGabriel Magallón, baritone, Kinder High School for Performing and Visual Arts, Houston, TXLukas Palys, baritone, St. Mark's School of Texas, Dallas, TX Violet Paris, soprano, Special Music School, Brooklyn, NY Callie Chae Pyken, mezzo-soprano, Los Angeles County High School of the Arts, San Marino, CA Taylor-Marie Robinson, soprano, Fine Arts Center, Greenville, SCCasey Schopflocher, countertenor, Special Music School, New York, NYSara Springett, soprano, Klein Cain High School, Spring, TXRoger Wang, baritone, Lambert High School, Suwanee, GASavannah Weldon, soprano, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, New York, NY Ryan Zhou, baritone, Howard High School, Ellicott City, MD“The future of classical singing is not a distant vision—it’s unfolding right now, and it’s incredibly exciting to witness,” said renowned soprano and SVA Board member Christine Goerke. “These young artists bring a level of presence, skill, and musical maturity well beyond their years, and they are only just beginning their journeys. The work of SVA extends far beyond the stage; it’s about fostering community, nurturing potential, and creating space for emerging talent to thrive. I’m honored to be part of an organization so deeply committed to this essential work.” A total of 51 high school singers from 20 states across the country—the three top winners from each of the 16 regional competitions, plus three ‘wild card’ singers—qualified for the semifinals on May 31. Forty-six singers performed, and the 16 finalists were selected to advance to the final round on June 1 by the semi-final jury of tenor William Burden, pianist/vocal coach Kayo Iwama, bass-baritone Dr. Seth Keeton, mezzo-soprano Dr. Kathryn Leemhuis, and mezzo-soprano Marietta Simpson. In addition to the finalists, the judges also selected three semi-finalists—soprano Destiny Cardell from Louisville, KY; soprano Marina Chamedes from New York, NY; and baritone Carter Greeson from Dalton, GA—to participate in a master class (public coaching) on Sunday morning, led by Mr. Burden, Ms. Iwama, and Ms. Simpson. “This competition is an exceptional weekend where young vocal artists from across the country are recognized for their incredible achievements, while having the opportunity to connect with some of the most accomplished voice professionals in the world, compete for scholarships, and create meaningful relationships with their peers that will last for decades,” said Chester A. Schmidt III, Chairman of the Board of the William E. Schmidt Foundation. “As advocates and representatives of my Uncle Bill’s (William E. Schmidt) mission to celebrate the vocal arts, we’re so proud of our competitors, and grateful for our partnerships with Sarasota Opera and the thousands of professionals, performers, and families that help us support these talented singers.” All Schmidt Vocal Arts programs are funded by the William E. Schmidt Foundation. Since debuting in 1997, the Schmidt Vocal Competitions have touched the lives of more than 6,500 developing singers, this year awarding a total of $650,000 in cash prizes and scholarships in pursuit of Schmidt Vocal Arts’ mission to foster a passion in young artists for classical singing and create opportunities to propel them on their journey toward a career in the arts. Soprano Savannah Weldon is a high school senior at LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts in New York City. She began singing classically her freshman year, and studies with Carmen Cancél. Savannah has been singing at Redeemer West Side Church for the past year, and in 2023, she attended Interlochen Summer Arts Camp for Voice & Opera and Musical Theater. Savannah participated in National YoungArts Week in 2025 as a Winner with Distinction in Classical Voice. In 2024, Savannah was won 1st prize at the Schmidt Vocal Arts Regional Competition in Philadelphia. She has performed in master classes with John Holiday and Katherine Jolly. Soprano Taylor-Marie Robinson grew up in Greenville, SC, along with three siblings. She is currently a junior at Carolina High School along with the Fine Arts Center. She has performed in three Peace Center productions, along with three annual scenes programs at the Fine Arts Center. Taylor-Marie is a William Warfield Competition Winner, as well as a NATS finalist, and third place winner in the Richard Miller Competition. She has also been recognized as a Young Arts Winner. She plans to attend Schmidt Vocal Institute in Oxford, Ohio this summer. Soprano Jane Hasty is a junior at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), in the Opera Company and Musical Theatre department. She studies voice with Veronica Bell. In 2024, Jane attended the International Voice Artists Academy in Austria and studied with Vladimir Chernov and Olga Toporkova. Roles include: Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, Vi Moore in Footloose, and Cunegonde in Candide. Awards include: Grand Finalist in the Los Angeles Music Centers Spotlight competition in Classical Voice 2025. First place in 2021 Cali i International Musical and Vocal Competition for Young Performers, and Spotlight Semifinalist in Non-Classical Voice (2024 & 2025).