Composers & Vocal Competitors 2021

Congratulations to all of our Composers, High School, Collegiate, and Pre-Professional competitors who submitted performances for the 2021 George Shirley Competition. The past year and a half have brought new challenges and adversity for everyone and we are incredibly proud of each and every contestant for succeeding in spite of these obstacles. Below are all of the competitiors from this year’s competition.

Composers

B.E. Boykin
DelShawn Taylor

High School Vocalists

Anne-Marie Atanga, Soprano, Genesee Early College
Zanaiah Billups, Mezzo-Soprano, Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School
Anna Bjerken, Soprano, Ithaca High School
Arianna Bolling, Soprano, Nashville School of the Arts
Rachael Farquharson, Mezzo-Soprano, Early College Alliance at Eastern Michigan University
Travis Guillory, Tenor, Cascia Hall Preparatory School
Jana Harmon, Soprano, Veritas School
Cameron Mitchell, Soprano, South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities
Jaylin Smith, Mezzo-Soprano, Centennial High School
Jordan Soderstrom, Baritone, Canton South High School
Grace Watson, Soprano, Berkley High School

Collegiate Vocalists

Nina Anderson, Soprano, University of Maryland
Maia Aramburu, Soprano, The University of Michigan SMTD
Desirae Banks, Soprano, New York University
Bryan Bennett, Baritone, Carnegie Mellon University
Aldo Pando Girard, Baritone, University of Michigan
Audrianna Hughes, Mezzo-Soprano, Murray State University
Cinderella Ksebati, Soprano, University of Michigan
Pelagia Pamel, Mezzo-Soprano, University of Michigan
Jared Payton, Tenor, Grace College Of Divinity
Lindsey Reynolds, Soprano, Curtis Institute of Music
Jillian Tate, Soprano, University of Maryland
Adja Thomas, Mezzo-Soprano, Manhattan School of Music
Darren Tucker, Tenor, Webster University
Sydney Wilson, Mezzo-Soprano, Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University

Pre-Professional Vocalists

Andrea Alderman, Soprano, New York University Steinhardt
Charles Anderson, Tenor, Austin Peay State University
Jemeyah Bagby, Soprano, Towson University
Denise Battle, Soprano, Norfolk State University
Danielle Beckvermit, Soprano, Michigan State University
Chantal Brazel, Soprano, Carnegie Mellon University School of Music
Sashekia Brown, Soprano, University of Nevada, Reno
Nicholas Davis, Baritone, Chicago College of Performing Arts
Kanisha Feliciano, Soprano, Rice University
Darius Gillard, Tenor, University of Michigan
Gedeane Graham, Mezzo-Soprano, Michigan State University
Lily Guerrero, Soprano, Florida State University
Melissa Joseph, Soprano, Georgia State University
Jeannette Lee,  Mezzo-Soprano, Doctor of Musical Arts
Imani Mchunu, Soprano, University of Michigan
Amber Merritt, Soprano, Masters of Music
Lisa Newill-Smith, Soprano, Royal Northern College of Music
Kayla Hill Oderah, Soprano, University of Michigan
Miracle Ogbor, Soprano, Longy school of music of Bard college
Myah Paden, Mezzo-Soprano, University of Michigan
Ardeen Pierre, Soprano, Southern Methodist University
Jouelle Roberson, Soprano, The Atlanta Opera
Daniel Sampson, Tenor, Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University
Mirai Shinde, Soprano, University of Michigan
Andrew Smith, Bass-Baritone, Catholic University of America
Daniel Smith, Baritone, George Mason University
Ian Williams, Bass-Baritone, Heartland Sings, Inc.
Tiffany Williams, Soprano, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
Travis Williams, Tenor, University of Nevada Las Vegas

2020 Virtual Composers Competition

Please join us Saturday, May 16, at 11:00am – 12:30pm the 2020 Virtual George Shirley Composers Competition. The competition will be live via our VidemusMusic Facebook page. We are excited to have 5 African American composers (Ethan Godrey, Jerrell Gray, Maya Johnson, Jarrett Roseborough, and Del’Shawn Taylor) presenting their work for this year’s competition cycle.

Each submitted piece will be reviewed by our panel of judges: Mark Lomax, Uzee Brown, Trevor Weston, and Regina Baiocchi. We look forward to the upcoming competition!

The GSVC focuses solely on vocal compositions written for the recital or operatic stage by composers of African-American descent. For more information on the composers competition visit the 2020 Composers Division page.  

Important Update: GSVC 2020

Dear students,

In the past week we have all experienced an upheaval that is unfathomable. The news we hear fluctuates daily and the situation appears to become more dire by the day. As music brings peace and solace in such times of uncertainty, I had hoped we could hold the 10th annual George Shirley competition May 15-17, 2020. Unfortunately, at this point I believe that to be unrealistic.

 

High School, College, and Pre-professional Vocal Divisions

After careful consideration, we have decided to cancel the vocal portion of the George Shirley Competition for 2020. The decision was reached after considering the following current information: 1) the latest news from the CDC which predicts at least another 8 weeks of contagion before the current conditions are abated, 2) the University of Michigan’s decision to close until after graduation – as our host institution, we cannot have the more than a few people gathered within a campus facility, and 3) our serious concern for the health of the singers (and all who support them) in the midst of this respiratory illness. Our highest priority is maintaining the health and wellness of our contestants, judges, staff, and volunteers, as well as to support the national directive of social distancing to decrease the impact on our healthcare system.

As a result, vocalists can expect the initiation of a full refund of the $50 application fee within the next 5 business days.

 

Composer’s Division

After much discussion with our sponsor and team, we have decided to move forward with the composer’s competition. This portion of the competition has been administered largely through video conferencing over the past few years, and we feel confident that we can continue in this vein, while remaining true to the vision and mission set by our sponsor. The sponsor is excited for us to move forward so we hope all of you will keep an eye out for this part of the competition which will take place virtually on May 16th (Details forthcoming soon).

We sincerely look forward to welcoming all singers and composers back for the 2021 competition. Please mark your calendars to apply by March 1, 2021 for next year’s competition to celebrate the official 10th year of the George Shirley Vocal Competition. Thank you all for your dedication to African American vocal music and we urge you to take the necessary precautions to remain safe and healthy. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at admin@georgeshirleycompetition.org.

See you virtually in May of 2020 and in person May of 2021!

Sincerely,

Louise Toppin

Dr. Louise Toppin
Co-Founder and Director, The George Shirley Competition

George Shirley
Founder