Marjorie Conrad Art Song Competition

Dr. Marjorie Conrad was born on January 24, 1922, in Philadelphia to Sue and William Conrad. Her mother, a nurse, encouraged her to get the best education possible. Her childhood interest in biology led to a degree in chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania in 1943 and a medical degree in 1946 from what was then Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia. She established a practice in Wilmington and worked there almost 20 years. She and Dr. Peatee met at a medical meeting, and she received her Ohio medical license in 1965, according to a state database. The couple married on January 29, 1966, and she moved to Bowling Green, where her husband had a longstanding practice. She opened a family practice with a focus on obstetrics. “She wanted to get back to work,” Mr. Bennett said. “She had a special interest in promoting the well-being of women and children in a family perspective.” The married doctors also were pilots — she’d learned in Wilmington — and flew to medical meetings together. She was a former president of the Soroptimist Club in Bowling Green and was credited with being the first woman on the boards of the former MidAm Bank and MidAm Inc. in Bowling Green.

She studied voice as a young woman and resumed in retirement, taking lessons with the late Barbara Lockard Zimmerman, who directed vocal studies at Bowling Green State University. Dr. Conrad was a member of Pro Musica, a group that supports the BGSU College of Musical Arts. Her own gift led to the Dr. Marjorie Conrad Art Song Competition, first held in 2000.

The vocal competitors, BGSU students — dressed in formal concert attire, as Dr. Conrad directed — are to show mastery of songs from the classical and romantic periods, from the 20th century, and by a living composer. While vocal students often aspire to be opera singers, “art song is a great way for a singer to learn their trade and learn languages and composers,” said Christopher Scholl, associate professor of voice and competition coordinator. Prize money is split equally between singer and pianist. “They learn to listen to each other, to pay attention and to play off one another,” Mr. Scholl said. Dr. Conrad attended every year until her death in 2014. Early on, she sat through the daylong competition and then returned for the evening concert. “It was almost as though she was singing vicariously through the students as she sat there,” said Myra Merritt, BGSU professor of voice. “She was fascinated by it.” Dr. Conrad endowed a voice scholarship. She also funded BGSU scholarships for undergraduate students in premedicine and in allied health professions.

The College of Musical Arts is forever grateful for Dr. Conrad’s contributions, especially to this special competition designed to encourage students enrolled at BGSU to approach the art song in a serious, intense manner and enhance their learning experience.

Congratulations to the Winners of the 2024 Art Song Competition!

Undergraduate Division:

First Place

Laney Mitchell, soprano
Charles Ligus, piano

Second Place

Audrey Martin, soprano
Isabella Brill, piano

Third Place

Alexander Ebright, tenor
Michelle Teyvel, piano

Graduate Division:

First Place

Trinity Peace Hines-Anthony, soprano
Apostolos-Angelo Konstantakis, piano

Second Place

Kirsten Kidd, soprano
Chirapa Wungkaom, piano

Third Place

Joicy Pereira de Carvalho, soprano
Apostolos Angelo-Konstantakis, piano

General Information

The Dr. Marjorie Conrad Art Song Fund provides financial prizes, for singers and collaborative pianists, for the annual art song competition in two divisions: undergraduate and graduate. Any year the competition is not held, prize monies will be available for scholarships. The goal of the contest is to encourage students enrolled at BGSU to approach the art song in a serious and intense manner and enhance their learning experience.

Date and Times

The 26th annual competition will be on April 5, 2025. There will be two rounds. The first round will begin at TBA and the Finals will begin at 8 p.m. Winners will be announced after the Finals.

Award

The total prize money for the competition is $6,500. All prizes will be awarded in voice and piano, with the funds equally distributed between both musicians. A total of six prizes may be awarded: two first prizes of $1,500 each, two second prizes of $1,000 each and two third prizes at $750 each. The first prize-winning duos will also be awarded the opportunity to perform one-half of a song recital.

Application

The 2025 Dr. Marjorie Conrad Art Song Competition application is available TBA. Please complete the application and send it to Professor Chris Scholl. The application is due by 5:00 p.m. on TBA.

The competition will be open to all students currently enrolled at Bowling Green State University. Before entering, contestants must have fulfilled respectively their piano and voice department jury requirements at the College of Musical Arts. There will be two divisions in which to compete—undergraduate and graduate. The singer’s academic rank will determine which division the team falls.
Each singer/pianist duo team will seek each other out to form their collaboration; they will not be matched by any other process. Both artists must have prior approval from their respective studio teachers. All applications must be emailed to Professor Chris Scholl by 5:00 p.m. on TBA.
Each duo will be required to prepare six (6) songs for the competition, with at least one song in each of the following languages: French, German, Italian and English. Each duo must also prepare at least one song from each of the following periods: Classical, Romantic and 20th century, as well as one song by a living composer. The remaining selections may be in any language and from any period the competitors may choose, with no more than two (2) songs in English. (Works must be from six (6) different composers.)
Singers must perform all of their selections from memory; pianists are permitted to use music.
The first-prize winners are free to compete the following year in a different division, if they are eligible. Second- and third-prize winners may compete again the following year in the same or different divisions. Pianists may enter three times, i.e. with three different singers.
Performers will be judged on the following criteria: technical, interpretive, musical and language skills as well as collaborative ability.

2023 Winners

2023 Undergraduate Division

First Place

Isabelle Olzak, mezzo-soprano
Abigail Peterson, piano

Second Place

Tajj Crowder, baritone
Nano Beraia, piano

Third Place

Andrew Puschel, tenor
Hannah Zaborski, piano

Graduate Division

First Place

Emma Clark, soprano
Stephen Eckert, piano

Second Place

Kirsten Kidd, soprano
Chirapa Wungkaom, piano

Third Place

Sofia Vasileiadou, soprano
Eva Panagou, piano

2022 Winners

2022 Undergraduate Division

First Place

Brooke Harvey, soprano
Jordan Karrigan, piano

Second Place

Andrew Puschel, tenor
Hannah Zaborski, piano

Third Place

Maureen Berney, soprano
Ashley Lewis, piano

Graduate Division

First Place

Carolyn Anderson, soprano
Steven Naylor, piano

Second Place

Keri Lee Pierson, soprano
Francisca de Castanheiro de Freitas, piano

Third Place

Nicholas Kottman, tenor
Chan, piano

2021 Winners

2021 Undergraduate Division

First Place

Jhané Perdue, soprano

Ivan Yumagolov, piano

Second Place

Leah Tracy, soprano

Steven Naylor, piano

Third Place

Lindsay Osterholt, soprano

Yongtong Tan, piano

Graduate Division

First Place

Katherine Pracht Phares, mezzo-soprano

Sandra Coursey, piano

Second Place

Carolyn Anderson soprano

Yuefeng Liu, piano

Third Place

Brianna England, soprano

Ariel Magno da Costa, piano

2019 Winners

Undergraduate Division

First Place

Nick Kottman, Baritone & Emily Morin, piano

Second Place

Jhane Perdue, Soprano & Ivan Yumagulov, piano

Third Place

Aaron Meece, Baritone & Rhys Burgess, piano

Graduate Division

First Place

Mickey Miller, Soprano & Humay Gasimzade, piano

Second Place

Alicia Berryhill, Soprano & Sijia Lin, piano

Third Place

Eunice Ayodele, Mezzo-Soprano & Jiamo Zhang, piano

2018 Winners

Undergraduate Division

First Place

Luke Serrano, baritone & Yuefeng Liu, piano

Second Place

Aaron Hill, tenor & Xi Li, piano

Third Place

Nicholas Kottman, baritone & Hannah Bossner, piano

Graduate Division

First Place

Caroline Kouma, soprano & Rhys Burges, piano

Second Place

Alicia Berryhill, soprano & Sijia Lin, piano

Third Place

Benjamin Ganger, baritone & Emily Morin, piano

2017 Winners

Undergraduate Division:

First Place

Hannah Stroth, soprano & Xiaohui Ma, piano

Second Place

Luke Schmidt, tenor & Yuefeng Liu, piano

Third Place

Daniel Baumgartner, baritone & Adam O’Dell, piano

Graduate Division:

First Place

Savanah Stricklin, soprano & Paul Shen, piano

Second Place

Amanda Williams, soprano & Hannah Bossner, piano

Third Place

Hillary LaBonte, soprano & Zach Nyce, piano

2016 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Kate Pomrenke, soprano & Benjamin Crook, piano

Second Place
Fidelia Esther Darmahkasih, soprano & Yi Chieh Chiu, piano

Third Place
Brett Pond, baritone & Benjamin Crook, piano

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Jenna Seeright, soprano & Benjamin Crook, piano

Second Place
ShayLyssa Alexander, mezzo-soprano & Xiaohui Ma, piano

Third Place
Luke Serrano, baritone & Yi Chieh Chiu, piano

2015 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Desiree Johnson and Alphonsus Kiu

Second Place
Jennifer Creswell and Chia-Jung Lin

Third Place
Elizabeth Hood and Alphonsus Kiu

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Autum Cochran-Jordan and Qincheng Zeng

Second Place
Rebekah Wehrly and Pen Zhang

Third Place
Daniel Baumgartner and Amy Faber

2014 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Patty Kramer, mezzo-soprano and Emily Alley, piano

Second Place
Claire Chardon, soprano and Emily Alley, piano

Third Place
Xin Shao, tenor and Xueli Liu, piano

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Amy Grams, soprano and Xueli Liu, piano

Second Place
Richard Channell Jr., baritone and Xiangli Kong, piano

Third Place
Mckenzie Frazer, soprano and Ioana Flonta. piano

2013 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Stephanie Tokarz, soprano and Peng Zhang, piano

Second Place
Patty Kramer, mezzo-soprano and Ana Yoder, piano

Third Place
LeTara Lee, soprano and Xueli Liu, piano

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Fidelia Esther Darmahkasih, soprano and Jeff Manchur, piano

Second Place
Patrick Scholl, tenor and Wen Zhang, piano

Third Place
Amy Grams, soprano and Xueli Liu, piano

2012 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Elizabeth Pearse and Karl Larsen

Second Place
Summer Aebker and Vitaly Serebriakov

Third Place
Briana Sosenjeimer and Vitaly Serebriakov

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Drew Ochoa and Vitaly Serebriakov

Second Place
Courtney Wallace and Sarah Puckett

Third Place
Grace Hirt and Akira Kaku

2011 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Christine Amon and Heidi Clausius

Second Place
Theresa Zapata and Tatiana Gorbunova

Third Place
Amanda DeBoer and Karl Larson

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Melissa Penkava and Jacintha Ratnasamy

Second Place
Rachel Taylor and Melinda Sondag

Third Place
Cassandra Utt and Sara Tobe

2010 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Erin Brooks, baritone and Kate Stubbs, piano

Second Place
Todd Doering, countertenor and Karl Larson, piano

Third Place
Rebecca Eaddy, soprano and Artem Anunchin, piano

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Marcus Bedinger, tenor and Casie Dietrich, piano

Second Place
Nathaniel Hein, tenor and Peter Oehrtman, piano

Third Place
Eric Stephen Blair, baritone and Andreas Xenopoulos, piano

2009 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Jing Lin, soprano, (China) and Ivana Tjandra, piano (Indonesia)

Second Place
Tammie Bradley, soprano, (Versaille, Ky.) and Mariam Vardzelashvili, piano (Georgia)

Third Place
Todd Doering, countertenor, (Sarasota, Fla.) and Mariam Vardzelashvili, piano (Georgia)

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Abigail Renee Krawson, soprano, (Canton) and I-Chen Yeh, piano (Taiwan)

Second Place
Matthew Hayner, baritone, (Lock Port, N.Y.) and Sara Young, piano (Bowling Green)

Third Place
LaRiché Jones, mezzo-soprano, (Livonia, Mich.) and Cristina Vlad, piano (Romania)

2008 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Megan Bell, soprano, (Columbus) and Stijn De Cock, piano (Belgium)

Second Place
Sara Emerson, soprano, (Traverse City, Mich.) and Laure Vermulin, piano (France)

Third Place
Tammie Bradley, soprano, (Versailles, Ky.) and Mariam Vardzhelashvili, piano (Georgia)

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Tim Bruno, bass, (Toledo) and Kate Musser-Stubbs, piano (Fort Loramie)

Second Place
Marissa Zacharias, soprano, (Celina) and Olga Topuzova-Meade, piano (Ukraine)

Third Place
Marcus Bedinger, tenor, (Trotwood) and Casie Dietrich, piano (Genoa)

2007 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Courtney Cleveland, mezzo-soprano, (Louisville, Ky.) and I-Chen Yeh, piano (Taiwan)

Second Place
Elizabeth Hanson, mezzo-soprano, (Loveland) and Meggie Young, piano (Chaska, Minn.)

Third Place
Marlayna Maynard, soprano, (Dunlow, W.Va.) and Yee Von Ng, piano

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Sarah Flammer, soprano, (Commerce, Mich.) and Stijn de Cock, piano (Belgium)

Second Place
Marcus Bedinger, tenor, (Trotwood) and Casie Dietrich, piano (Genoa)

Third Place
Jenny Meggitt, soprano, (Temperance, Mich.) and Stijn de Cock, piano (Belgium)

2006 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Joan Cano, soprano, (Philippines) and Pantelis Polichronidis, piano (Greece)

Second Place
Courtney Cleveland, mezzo-soprano, (Louisville, Ky.) and I-Chen Yeh, piano (Taiwan)

Third Place
Justin Randolph, baritone, (Zanesville) and Kate Musser, piano (Loramie)

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Katie Liesner, soprano, (Massillon) and Olga Cleianchina, piano (Romania)

Second Place
Ellen Gartner, mezzo-soprano, (Findlay) and Pantelis Polichronidis, piano (Greece)

Third Place
Allison Patterson, soprano, (Howard) and Melissa Fletcher, piano (North Royalton)

2005 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Kisma Jordan, soprano, and Olga Cleianchina, piano

Second Place
Marcialyn Lopez, soprano, and Melissa Martiros, piano
Justin Randolph, baritone, and Kate Musser, piano

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Rizo Arellano, counter-tenor, and Alena Gorina, piano

Second Place
Sarah Flammer, mezzo-soprano, and Stijn De Cock, piano

Third Place
T. Edward Federle, baritone, and Matthew Skitzki, piano

2004 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Lori Celeste Hicks, soprano, and Matthew Skitzki, piano

Second Place
Marcialyn Lopez, soprano, and Melissa Martiros, piano

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Elizabeth Baldwin, mezzo-soprano, and Samee Griffith, piano.

Second Place
Rizo Arellano, counter-tenor, and Alena Gorina, piano

2003 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Not awarded

Second Place
Christina Gregory, soprano, and Bianca Hotea, piano

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Minnita Daniel-Cox, soprano, and Bianca Hotea, piano
Elizabeth Hansen, sorpano, and Alena Crossmon, piano

Second Place
Andy Catton, baritone, and Laronne Bomeli, piano

2002 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Sedalia Brown, soprano, and Marina Chamasyan, piano

Second Place
Alison Show, soprano, and Ondra Williams, piano

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Chris Carducci, baritone, and Christopher Stephens, piano

Second Place
Stephanie Winslow, soprano, and Ondra Williams, piano

2001 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Jeffrey Wisniewski, baritone, and Stacey Barelos, piano

Second Place
Sedalia Brown, soprano, and Marina Chamasyan, piano

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Juliane Goretta, soprano, and Marcelina Turcanu, piano

Second Place
Minnita Daniel-Cox, soprano, and Anna Stembler-Smith, piano

2000 Winners

Graduate Division

First Place
Not Awarded

Second Place
Jaunelle Celaire, soprano, and Catalina Teican, piano

Undergraduate Division

First Place
Traci Cotterman Weaver, soprano, and Erin Bonski, piano
Jeffrey Wisniewski, baritone, and Janelle Penn, piano

Second Place
Chris Carducci, baritone, and Maira Balacon, piano

Updated: 07/15/2024 03:39PM