Six students were named as winners in the 4th Annual Art Song competition at Fresno State. During the competition, the poetry and composition finalists worked with vocalists to perform original works during the festival. The festival also included Masterclasses and a talk by one of opera’s biggest international stars, bass-baritone Gerald Finley.

Competition prize winners: 

Poetry Prize

Bradley Samore (Fresno State) for his poem:

Visiting the Shinzen Friendship Garden
Piecemeal clouds puff over the lake 
framed by trees whose red yellow leaves 
light more golden in the setting sun 
ripples that quiver the clouds’ reflection 
and leave behind them a new image
on which mallards glide and a great egret 
scans the shallows for fish 

Composition Prizes

Judge’s Prize Winner and Audience Choice Prize co-winner: Micah Byers (Fresno State)

Performed by: Christopher Rodriguea, baritone and Drew Quiring, piano

Audience Choice Prize co-winner: Allen Gallego (Fresno State)

Performed by: Pardees Fayed, soprano and Drew Quiring, piano

Vocal Showcase Prizes

Judge’s Prize co-winner: Lana Kains, soprano (Sydney Conservatorium)

Judge’s Prize co-winner: Jeremy Boulton, baritone  (Sydney Conservatorium)

Audience Choice: Joshua Bravo, baritone (Fresno State)

Art Song Voice Prize Winner Performances (video)

Congratulations to all the winners!