The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, PA, and the American Bach Society announce the fourth biennial competition for young American singers with special interest in the music of J. S. Bach.
On May 11, 2008, ten finalists will appear before a panel of distinguished judges and a live audience in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The First Prize winner chosen by the judges will receive a career development grant of $3.000 plus a solo performing opportunity with The Bach Choir of Bethlehem and Greg Funfgeld, Artistic Director & Conductor, in a future season.
In addition to the first prize, up to three additional cash awards of $500 may be awarded to other finalists, at the judges' discretion.
Judges at the auditions on May 11, 2008, will include
- Greg Funfgeld, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem
- Mary Dalton Greer, vice president of the American Bach Society
- Melvin Unger, director of the Reimenschneider Bach Institute
- Kendra Colton, soprano soloist at the 2008 Bethlehem Bach Festival .
ELIGIBILITY:
THE COMPETITION IS OPEN TO CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES BORN AFTER MAY 11, 1978.
(As of the finals on May 11, 2008, you must not yet have reached your 30th birthday.)
AUDITION PROCEDURE:
Preliminaries:
- Preliminary application is by audio recording only (details below). Application Deadline MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2008. (Note extension from originally posted deadline of Friday March 28)
- All applications must be received by the Competition Administrator in California on or before this date.
- From these preliminary applications, ten finalists will be chosen.
Finals
- The ten finalists will sing in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, May 11, 2008.
- The finals are held at First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, and will begin at 2:00pm
- Here is a Google map to the church
- At the finals, each singer will present two Bach arias of his/her choice, with piano accompaniment. Piano accompanist will be provided. Finalists may bring their own accompanist if desired.
- Finalists must provide their own transportation to Bethlehem for the finals. Bethlehem is 90 minutes north of Philadelphia by car, and ca. 2 hours west of New York City. The nearest airport is the Lehigh Valley Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The finals occur at the conclusion of the final weekend of the 2008 Bethlehem Bach Festival. All finalists will receive complimentary tickets to any concerts they wish to attend for this weekend of the Bethlehem Bach Festival. (Concerts take place on Friday and Saturday. There are no Festival concerts on Sunday.)
Please visit the Bethlehem Bach Festival's website www.bach.org for the Festival schedule or email office@bach.org to request a Festival ticket brochure
HOW TO APPLY:
There is no application fee, and no special application form is necessary. Simply send the following material to the address listed below:
We charge no application fee; no special application form is needed. Simply send the following material to us at mailing address listed below. Application material is not returnable.
Resume of your education, training, and onstage experience. Tell us about yourself.
Photo
Repertoire list: music you have performed or studied (opera/oratorio). Although we are especially interested in your experience singing Bach and the Baroque, we do appreciate having an overview of your repertoire.
Audio CD or cassette tape. The recording should include a minimum of two selections by J. S. Bach (Bach only, no other Baroque composers). At least one work should be in German. We recommend including arias from the Passions, the Christmas Oratorio, the Mass in B Minor, or cantatas. Arias only, please; no duets or ensembles.
Please Note: Audio CD or cassette tape only. We are unable to accept video tapes, DVDs, mini disks, or emailed mp3 files as audition material.
Letter(s) of recommendation from music professional(s) other than your current teacher. (A letter of recommendation is OPTIONAL, and is not a requirement, but is strongly advised).
Letters of recommendation may be emailed or sent as email attachments if desired. Letters of recommendation may be emailed directly to 
.
Please DO NOT send resumés, bios, photos, or mp3s as email attachments. We prefer to receive that sort of material in hardcopy form. (You may send letters of recommendation as email or as email attachments.)
All application materials must be received at the California address below no later than March 28, 2008. Please label all material with name and phone number.
We will make every effort to choose the ten finalists and notify every applicant no later than April 11.
Please mail or send your material early.
For hints on applying for competitions and young artist programs,
please read David Gordon's "Advice for Applicants" page.
Please mark your envelope and material clearly " Bach Vocal Competition"
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Please mail applications
and inquiries to:
David Gordon, Administrator
Bach Vocal Competition
Post Office Box 4843
Carmel CA 93921
phone: 831/238.2934
email
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For FedEx, UPS, and other
courier deliveries ONLY
please use this address:
David Gordon
7990 Carmel Valley Road
Carmel CA 93923
Phone 831-238-2934
(Please do not send ordinary US Mail to this address.
It is not a secure mailbox for US Mail)
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Please remember, we must RECEIVE all your application material
in Carmel, California on or before Friday March 28, 2008.
About the Bach Choir of Bethlehem
Greg Funfgeld, Artistic Director and Conductor
Since its founding in 1898, the now-famous Bach Choir of Bethlehem has been attracting thousands of national and international visitors every May to its annual Bethlehem Bach Festival. The oldest Bach Choir in North America, The Bach Choir of Bethlehem gave the first complete American performances of The Mass in B Minor and The Christmas Oratorio. The annual Bach Festival in May features the acclaimed Choir and Bach Festival Orchestra and world-renowned soloists underr the leadership of Music Director Greg Funfgeld. The repertoire includes 136 cantatas, all of the motets, and 15 of Bach's larger works.
Please visit the Bach Choir of Bethlehem's website www.bach.org for the Festival schedule or email office@bach.org to request a Festival ticket brochure.
