Competition Information

Structure for the 2027 Competition

The GSVC will continue to be a multi-level competition, including three rounds: preliminary, semi-final, and finals. The preliminary round will be conducted virtually, while the semi-final and final rounds will be held in person.

• Preliminary Round: All entrants are invited to submit performances of selected repertoire in a preliminary round that will be reviewed by a panel of renowned judges.
• Final Round: The judges will select semi-finalists and finalists from each division to compete in person at the University of Michigan, May 14-16, 2027.
• Winner’s Concert: The winners will be invited to perform at a concert on Sunday, May 16. Stay tuned for more information.

In addition to the competition, we will have multiple master classes throughout the weekend.

Repertoire Requirements

• High School
• Collegiate
• Pre-Professional
• International
• Composition

Requirements for the High School category: Ages 14-18

High School vocalists are asked to prepare three memorized selections. Two selections are to be video recorded, and the third selection will be used for the live rounds in the categories below. No repertoire substitutions will be accepted after the application is submitted. The repertoire to be included is:

• 1 Spiritual (video recorded)
• 1 African American Art Song (video recorded)
• 1 African American Art Song (additional song for live round)

The quality and presentation of your video recordings are important, as judges are making decisions about who to invite to the competition. For students who choose to present an art song by Harry T. Burleigh (not a spiritual) in the live audition, there is a special prize you will automatically be considered for as part of your audition.

On the application, after you upload the videos and their titles, you will need to submit only the title for the additional song for the live round. For all three selections, you need to submit a PDF of only your piece’s scores with the application. Please make sure your selections are placed into the correct categories and that you submit complete information (composer’s name, title, etc).

The repertoire recorded and presented for the preliminary round must be the same as the repertoire presented in the live audition. No substitutions will be accepted after the application is accepted.

Expectations for the live rounds: If you are invited to compete in the live round, you will select your first piece, and the judges will select your other pieces to be heard in the semi-final round. These are TIMED auditions, so you will be asked to sing until your individual time slot expires.

Requirements for the Collegiate category: Ages 18-22

Collegiate vocalists are asked to prepare four memorized selections. Three recordings are for preliminary round judging, and one additional selection for the live performance round(s). No repertoire substitutions will be accepted after the application is submitted. The repertoire to be included is:

• 1 Spiritual (video recorded)
• 1 African American Art Song by a woman composer (video recorded)
• 1 African American Opera Aria OR African American Oratorio Aria OR 1 African American Art Song (video recorded)
• 1 additional African American Art Song (additional song for the live round)

On the application, after you upload the videos and their titles, you will need to submit only the title for the additional song AND a PDF of only your piece’s scores. Please make sure your selections are placed into the correct categories and that you submit complete information (composer’s name, title, etc).

The quality and presentation of your recordings are important, as judges are making decisions about who to invite to the competition.

Expectations for the live rounds: If you are invited to compete in the live round, you will select your first piece, and the judges will select your other pieces to be heard in the semi-final round. These are TIMED auditions, so you will be asked to sing until your individual time slot expires. If you are advanced to the next round, you may be asked to sing the piece(s) that were not heard in the earlier round.

**Special note – The collegiate division is eligible for two repertoire-specific prizes in our special prizes category:

• Award for the best performance of an Art Song OR Spiritual by composer Jacqueline Hairston (Sponsored by B.L.A.C.- Black Leaders in Art Collective).
• Award for the best performance of a Harry T. Burleigh art song (Sponsored by the Harry T. Burleigh Legacy Foundation).

Requirements for the Pre-Professional category: Ages 23-35

Pre-professional vocalists are asked to prepare five memorized selections. Four recordings for preliminary round judging and one additional selection for the live round(s). No repertoire substitutions will be accepted after the application is accepted. The repertoire to be included is:

• 1 Spiritual (video recorded)
• 1 African American Art Song by a woman composer (video recorded)
• 1 African American Art Song by a contemporary composer (piece written after 2000 or a living composer) (video recorded)
• 1 African American Opera Aria OR African American Oratorio Aria OR an African American Art song (video recorded)
• 1 African American or African Diasporic Art Song (Additional for Live Round)

The quality and presentation of your recordings are important, as judges are making decisions about who to invite to the competition.

**Special note – The pre-professional division is eligible for four repertoire-specific prizes in our special prizes category:

• Award for the best performance of an Art Song or Aria by composer Adolphus Hailstork (Sponsored by B.L.A.C. – Black Leaders in Art Collective)
• Award for the best performance of a Harry T. Burleigh Art Song (Sponsored by the Harry T. Burleigh Legacy Foundation)
• Award for the best performance of a Contemporary Art Song Prize (contemporary = living composers or compositions composed after 2000) (Sponsored by Kenneth Overton)
• Award for the best performance of a Contemporary Spiritual Prize (contemporary = living composers or compositions composed after 2000) (Sponsored by Kenneth Overton)

On the application, after you upload the videos and their titles, you will need to submit only the title for the additional song for the live round. For all selections, you need to submit a PDF of only your piece’s scores with the application. Please make sure your selections are placed into the correct categories and that you submit complete information (composer’s name, title, etc).

Expectations for the live rounds: If you are invited to compete in the live round, you will select your first piece, and the judges will select your other pieces to be heard in the semi-final round. These are TIMED auditions, so you will be asked to sing until your individual time slot expires. If you are advanced to the next round, you may be asked to sing the piece(s) that were not heard in the earlier round.

Requirements for the International category: Ages 16-35*

Competitors must be present or available via Zoom during the competition.

*(If an international student is attending a US institution, you must compete in one of the other categories.) This year, we will have a live master class for international students in addition to the competition.

International vocalists are asked to prepare two to three selections. The repertoire selection must include:

• 1 African American Art Song (video recorded)
• 1 African American, African, or African diaspora composer (video recorded)
• OPTIONAL – 1 African American spiritual (video recorded)

As a part of your application, you will need to provide video recordings of your 2 song selections and an optional 3rd selection, a spiritual. You do NOT have to present a spiritual, but you have the option to include it as a 3rd piece. The other two pieces MUST be either art songs or operatic arias from Black composers.

Since your competition is completely virtual, the quality and presentation of your recording are important. During the competition, your recordings will be played for the judges and the audience to hear. You will be on screen virtually and able to interact with the international panel of judges in real time. This division only has one round of competition. After the competition, we will have a live master class with some of the contestants for all to participate in, and the winners will be announced.

Requirements for the Composition category: Ages 18-35

This year’s competition will focus on a multi-cultural response to African American poetry. Interested composers of all ethnicities are asked to submit one recently composed art song written between 2022-2027 set to the text of an African American or African Diaspora poet. Please do not submit a spiritual arrangement.

Composers must be present or available via Zoom during the competition. As a part of the application process, please include:

• a PDF of your song
• an MP3 or AAC audio recording of your song
• a written statement about the text and creation of your song (max 2000 characters with spaces or 300 words)

Prizes

More than $50,000 in prizes were awarded during the 2026 competition. Each year, a 1st through 3rd-place winner will be chosen from each of the High School, College, and Pre-professional divisions, and each will be awarded a scholarship, ranging from $500 to $5,000. In addition, singers have an opportunity to compete for special prizes (see below).

International Student Placement prizes

• First Prize, International Division: $1,000
  In Memory of Dr. and Mrs. Willis C. Patterson
• Second Prize, International Division: $500
  Sponsored by Patrice Eaton

Composition Prizes

• Art Song Composition Prize: $1,000
  A multi-cultural response to African American poetry
  Sponsored by Marquita Lister
• Prize for a newly commissioned work (awarded to a composer): $1,500
  Sponsored by Karen Slack

Special Prizes

In addition to placement prizes, contestants will have the opportunity to be chosen as the recipient o additional scholarships. Most scholarships focus on a specific area of interest within the African-American vocal repertoire. The special prizes for 2026 were:

• Soprano Prize: $1,000
  Sponsored by Myra Merritt
• Mezzo Soprano Prize: $1,000
  Sponsored by Videmus in honor of Hilda Harris
• Tenor Prize: $1,000
  Sponsored by Carrie Brown in honor of George Shirley
• Countertenor Prize: $1,000
  Sponsored by Darryl Taylor
• Baritone Prize: $1,000
  Sponsored by James and Bonnie Rose in honor of Christal Rose
• Art Song Prize: $1,000
  In Memory of Dr. and Mrs. Willis C. Patterson
  
• Operatic Aria Prize: $1,000
  Sponsored by Patricia Miller
• Contemporary Art Song Prize for Pre-professional division: $500
  (Composed after the year 2000) Sponsored by Kenneth Overton
• Contemporary Spiritual Prize for Pre-professional division: $500
  (Composed after the year 2000) Sponsored by Kenneth Overton
  
• Detroit Music Association Scholarship for High School division: $700
  Sponsored by Detroit Music Association (DMA)
• Detroit Music Association Scholarship for High School division: $300
  Sponsored by Detroit Music Association (DMA)
  
• George and Gladys Shirley-Louise Toppin Award of Promise: $500
  Sponsored by Washington Isaac Holmes
  
• The Harry T. Burleigh Art Song Prize (Pre-Professional): $1,000
  Sponsored by the Harry T. Burleigh Legacy Foundation
• The Harry T. Burleigh Art Song Prize (Collegiate): $500
  Sponsored by the Harry T. Burleigh Legacy Foundation
• The Harry T. Burleigh Art Song Prize (High School): $250
  Sponsored by the Harry T. Burleigh Legacy Foundation
  
• The Harry T. Burleigh Art Song Prize (International): $250
  Sponsored by the Harry T. Burleigh Legacy Foundation
  
• Spiritual Prize (1st Place, Pre-Professional): $1,000
  Sponsored by Robert Sims
• Spiritual Prize (2nd Place, Pre-Professional): $500
  Sponsored by Patrice Eaton in memory of Patricia Eaton
• B.L.A.C. for Operatic Aria/ Art Song Award (Pre-Professional): $1,000
  Sponsored by BLAC: Black Leaders Arts Collective
• B.L.A.C. for Operatic Aria/ Art Song Award (Collegiate): $500
  Sponsored by BLAC: Black Leaders Arts Collective
  
• Women Composers Prize: $1,000
  Sponsored by Charsie R. Sawyer and Laura English Robinson
• Collaborative Pianist Award: $1,000
  Sponsored by Timothy Jones
• Willis C. Patterson and Christie Merrit Award: $1,000
  Sponsored by Washington Isaac Holmes