The GSVC Story

The first competition was held in 2011 in Detroit, Michigan and the inaugural competition was a part of the annual Detroit Spiritual Festival. In the ensuing years, the competition moved to Wayne State University (2013), Kerrytown Concert House (2014) and the Detroit Opera House (2015 & 2016) in partnership with Detroit Opera. In 2017, the GSVC found its permanent home when it held its first competition at the University of Michigan.

In addition to finding a home, the competition has expanded from its roots as solely a high school competition to a competition that can boast five distinct divisions for singers of all ethnicities – high school, college, pre-professional and international – and a division for African American composers. GSVC has also introduced Special Prizes which provide opportunities to recognize the talent of many more of our competitors, in addition to the existing 3 Placement Prizes in each category. In 2012, we introduced the first such prize to honor Willis Patterson – the $1,000 Willis Patterson Prize for Art Song – and have added 17 new Special Prizes for more than $44,000 awarded in prizes annually. Through the generosity of individual donors and businesses, we will add 5 new prizes for the 2025 competition.

In keeping with the GSVC vision, in addition to winning prize money, the competitors have an opportunity to form friendships with other competitors and receive mentorship from the many artists and judges in attendance at the competition. These connections are invaluable for young people applying to graduate schools and looking for entrees into the music industry.

The competitors are also able to attend events while at GSVC. They hear a welcome concert by guest artists, participate in master classes with international artists, take a class on the performance practice and history of spirituals, learn about research and available African American repertoire resources, and occasionally attend an opera by an African American composer at the Detroit Opera as they will in 2025 (Anthony Davis’s Central Park Five).

With the 2025 competition, we begin a new phase of the competition as we begin to transition our operation to the University of Michigan. Michigan has been a leader in the education of African American song, the promotion of diverse voices, and as a space welcoming to those of all ethnicities. GSVC is looking forward to the future with the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD).