Event

Handel Aria Competition 2015

The finalists in the 3rd annual Handel Aria Competition come from across the United States, and were selected from a field of over 50 singers who auditioned. The 2015 finalists are:

Sarah Brailey, soprano
Corrine Byrne, soprano
Audrey L. Dawson, mezzo-soprano
Margaret Fox, mezzo-soprano
Kristin Knutson, soprano
Andrew Rader, countertenor
Jacob Scharfman, baritone

These seven singers will each perform two arias by Handel, accompanied by the Madison Bach Musicians. A professional panel of judges associated with the Madison Early Music Festival will select the first, second and third place winners, and there will also be an opportunity for the public to vote for the Audience Favorite.

The Handel Aria Competition was established in 2013 to encourage emerging singers to explore the operas and oratorios of G. F. Handel. The competition was conceived of by Dean Schroeder and his wife Carol "Orange" Schroeder, and was inspired by Mr. Schroeder's passion for Handel's operatic works.