Mary Jacobs Smith
Singer of the Year Competition

Date and Time
Location
900 Jordan Street
Shreveport, LA 71101
Price
Information
Chosen from hundreds of applicants, 24 emerging professional opera singers traveled from across the country on March 4 and 5, 2023, to vie for the title of Mary Jacobs Smith Singer of the Year.
Click on the photo of each contestant to visit their website.
The judges:
- Luretta Bybee, opera singer; Professor of Voice, Loyola University (New Orleans)
- Andrea DelGiudice, founder and the director of Vocal Arts at The Narnia Festival in Narni Italy; voice teacher; and talent consultant for Encompass Arts
- Greer Grimsley, world-renowned Wagnerian bass-baritone
The prizes:
- The Mary Jacobs Smith Award (1st prize) $10,000
- The Charles Maggio Award (2nd prize) $5,000
- The Robert J. Murray Memorial Award (3rd prize) $3,000
- The Lorena Bessey Mangin Memorial Award (4th prize) $2,000
- The Jennifer White Memorial Award (5th prize) $1,000
- The Katherine S. Tyrrell Memorial Award (honorable mention - $300)
- The Dr. & Mrs. Bob Robinson Award (honorable mention - $300)
- The La Wanda & Ernest Blakeney Award (honorable mention - $300)
- The Phyllis Linke-Lamb Memorial Award (honorable mention - $300)
- The Dr. Melvin & Lea Johnson Memorial Award (honorable mention - $300)
- The Shreveport-Bossier Opera Guild Audience Choice Award ($300)
Featured Artists / Guests

Susanne Burgess
Singer of the Year Winner & Audience Choice Winner

Lawrence Barasa Kiharangwa
1st Runner-up (Maggio Award)

Spencer Reichman
2nd Runner-up (Murray Award)

Bridget Cappel
3rd Runner-up (Mangin Award)

Anthony Ciaramitaro
4th Runner-up (White Award)

Navasard Hakobyan
Honorable Mention (Tyrrell Award)

Michelle Mariel Mariposa
Honorable Mention (Linke-Lamb Award)

Bryan Murray
Honorable Mention (Blakeney Award)

Xavier Prado
Honorable Mention (Robinson Award)

Ethel Trujillo
Honorable Mention (Johnson Award)

Sarah Joyce Cooper
Semi-finalist

Gabrielle Gilliam
Semi-finalist

Edith Grossman
Semi-finalist

Robert Hartfield
Semi-finalist

Shanley Horvitz
Semi-finalist

Erik Earl Larson
Semi-finalist

Chelsea Lehnea
Semi-finalist

Kaylee Nichols
Semi-finalist

Andrew Payne
Semi-finalist

Clara Reeves
Semi-finalist
Nathan Schafer
Semi-finalist

Luke Sutliff
Semi-finalist

Hilary Grace Taylor
Semi-finalist

Steve Valenzuela
Semi-finalist