Andy Einhorn and Jeanine Tesori named as semifinal adjudicator/coaches.
Winner prizes set at $25,000, $20,000, and $15,000.
Kim H. Kowalke, President of the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music and founder of the Lenya Competition, has announced the twenty rising singer-actors who have advanced to the Competition’s semifinal round. The Foundation has simultaneously named Andy Einhorn and Jeanine Tesori as the artists who will serve in the Competition’s unique adjudicator/coach semifinal role. Kowalke commented, “I’m thrilled that for the first time half of the semifinalists hail from foreign countries and will be traveling to New York from afar to work with our illustrious adjudicator/coaches Jeanine and Andy.”
Ranging in age from 25 to 32, the semifinalists in the 2025 Lenya Competition were selected from a pool of 260 applicants, 30% of whom came from outside the US. The semifinalists are:
Tamara Bounazou (Paris, France)
Kendra Dyck (Toronto, ON)
Bridget Esler (Vancouver, BC)
Crystal Glenn (Yonkers, NY)
Jonathan Heller (New York, NY)
Queen Hezumuryango (Bujumbura, Burundi)
Elenora Hu (Delft, Netherlands)
Marcus Huber (Lancaster, PA)
Tajda Jovanovič Turner (Kranj, Slovenia)
Hugo Kampschreur (Arnhem, Netherlands)
Stavros Koumbaros (Shelton, CT)
Olivia LaPointe (Fredericton, NB)
Rebecca Madeira (Howell, NJ)
Gemma Nha (Sydney, Australia)
Chris Richie (Mobile, AL)
Kaileigh Riess (Foxborough, MA)
George Robarts (Great Hormead, UK)
Alicia Russell Tagert (Richmond, VA)
Schyler Vargas (Denver, CO)
Ian Williams (Indianapolis, IN)
The group of semifinalists comprises individuals who are already pursuing successful professional careers with major credits on both sides of the Atlantic, on such notable stages as Lyric Opera of Chicago, Volksoper Wien, Grange Park Opera, Opera National de Paris, Dutch National Opera, and Opera Vlaanderen, not to mention multiple US national tours of Broadway Shows.
Each semifinalist receives a prize of $1,250 along with a stipend for travel to New York City for their next round audition on 13 or 14 March. Contestants receive immediate feedback and coaching from one of the two semifinal judges. Andy Einhorn has served as a judge on seven previous occasions; he has long been Audra McDonald’s accompanist and conductor and currently serves as Music Director of the hit Broadway revival of Gypsy. Likewise a veteran judge of seven Lenya Competitions, Jeanine Tesori is the double Tony Award-winning composer of Kimberly Akimbo and Fun Home, as well as of the opera Blue, which was awarded the Music Critics Association of North America 2020 Award for Best New Opera. The Competition provides accompanists to contestants free of charge; long-serving collaborative pianists Schane Schag and Lyndon Meyer will participate again this year.
The Foundation made a number of awards in addition to designating the semifinalists. Six applicants received Emerging Talent Awards with a cash prize of $750 each: Melanie Athans (USA); Tanner Cox (USA); William Hopkins (United Kingdom); Sachiko Nicholson (USA); Galilei Uajenenisa Njembo (Namibia); Grace Marie Rusnica (USA). Sang Bin Park (South Korea) received the Grace Keagy Award for Outstanding Vocal Achievement in the amount of $750. Roza Herwig (Netherlands) won a $750 Prize for Outstanding Performance of a Lenya Competition Songbook Selection, for her performance of “Lullaby” by Anna K. Jacobs, who will receive the same amount.
The semifinalists compete for the opportunity to advance to the final round, which takes place on Saturday, 3 May 2025, in Rochester, New York. Top prizes are $25,000, $20,000, and $15,000, with total prizes exceeding $120,000. This year’s final round will for the first time feature an Audience Choice Award. All events will stream live online at www.kwf.org, with the video remaining available for viewing indefinitely afterwards.
