The George Shirley Vocal Competition focuses entirely on African-American Vocal Repertoire and is open to singers of all ethnicities. The singers and composers in the other divisions will be invited to attend the competition in person on May 17-19, 2024.
Deadline & Application Fee
The 2024 application deadline for all divisions has been extended to April 18, 2024. The application fee for this competitor division is $15.Requirements for the International category: Ages 16-35
International vocalists are asked to prepare two selections. 2 selections must be an African, American American or African diaspora composer.- 2 African American Art Songs
For each selection, you will need to provide the file name, which should include the title, composer, via georgeshirleycompetition.wetransfer.com in order to complete the application.
Structure for the 2024 Virtual Competition
The GSVC is a multi-level competition, including three rounds: preliminary, semi-final, and finals. All rounds will be conducted virtually.- Preliminary Round: All entrants are invited to submit performances of selected repertoire in a preliminary round that will be reviewed by an internationally renowned panel of judges. For instructions on recording video performances, review the Recording Guidelines.
- Final Round: The judges will select a winner from this division on Saturday, May 18. The winning competitor’s video will be played during the Concert later that day.
- Winner’s Concert: Video performance from this division will be selected to be played during the Winner’s concert on Saturday, May 18. The concert will also be live-streamed on Facebook. Stay tuned for more information.
Instructions for Video Submission
In addition to completing the application, please follow these instructions carefully:- Name your performance video files in the following format: “YOUR NAME_TITLE_COMPOSER” (ex: Louise Toppin_Hold Fast to Dreams_Florence Price.mp4)
- Go to georgeshirleycompetition.wetransfer.com
- Click “Add Your Files” to upload the video. You can upload multiple videos at once, or one at a time.
- Under “Your email,” add your email address. Please use the same email address as used in your application submission.
- Under “Message” you must include the following information:
- Title
- Composer
- Which repertoire requirement the piece is intended for
- Click “Transfer.”
Competitor Resources
- The African Diaspora Music Project is a resource tool designed to assist our competitors to locate original works by composers of the African Diaspora. All research associated with this project is owned and presented by Dr. Louise Toppin and Videmus.
- The Recording Guidelines provide detailed instructions and tips for capturing the best videos for submission to the competition.
Prizes
Placement Prizes
- International students prizes (2): $500 Sponsored by Susan and Dorothy Ignasiak and Videmus