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2012 marked the introduction of a new scholarship specifically for Young Vocal Artists from 18 through 22 already enrolled in college as a Music Education or Music Performance major. The audition requires singing two pieces from memory in two different languages, but one can be English. One must be an aria from an opera or oratorio and the other an art song. The prize is $1,000 ($2,000 in 2015) and it requires a performance for the Music Club at a specific date of their musical selections.
Unfortunately, this scholarship no longer is being funded and discontinued in 2016. Past winners will remain on this site for historic record. Persons interested in funding this should contact current club president.
The 2015 winner of the Martha Marcks Mack Scholarship for Young Vocal Artists,
Faith Brown (soprano) hails from Phillipsburg, New Jersey. She attended Phillipsburg High School (Class of 2012), where she was active in music, given the privilege to learn from music directors Kathy Hartman, Deb Keretz, Tom DiGiovanni, and Kyle Fleming. During her senior year at PHS she sang with the Lafayette College concert choir under Dr. Jennifer Kelly, and the same year performed as a member of the ACDA Northeast Regional Honor Choir in Providence, Rhode Island under conductor Pearl Shangkuan. Faith attends Moravian College where she is in her junior year, pursuing a B.M. in Music Education; she has studied classical voice with Eduardo Azzati, jazz voice with Lou Lanza, guitar with John Arnold, and piano with Dr. Arianna Goldina. At Moravian she has also participated in Opera Workshop, Vocalis (elite a capella ensemble), Jazz Vocal Ensemble, Celtic Ensemble, Monteverdi Ensemble, and Jazz Combo II, while holding the position of mellophone section leader in the marching band, vice president/manager of the choir, vice president/soprano II section leader in Women’s Chorus, and production coordinator of the Salon Ensemble. She is also a member of the Allentown Symphony Chorus, holding the position of soprano college scholar. In February 2015, she won first place in her division at the LVNATS competition held at Moravian College. This spring she is serving her pre-student teaching field placement, and is looking forward to full time student teaching in 2016.
She performed on May 3, 2015 with Michael McAndrew on piano the following:
"Du ring an meinem finger" from Frauenliebe und -leben, Op. 42 (1840) by Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
"Smanie implacabili" from Così fan tutte, K.588 (1790) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
"The Crucifixion" from Hermit Songs, Op. 29 (1953) by Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
"Je dis, que rien ne m'epouvante" Micaëla’s aria from Carmen (1875) by Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
The 2014 winner of the Martha Marcks Mack Scholarship for Young Vocal Artists,
Seana Benz will graduate cum laude from Muhlenberg College this May with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Theatre. Within the musical community of Muhlenberg College, Seana has been a member of the College Choir, Chamber Singers, Collegium Musicum, Women’s Ensemble (Vice-President 2013-2014, Student Conductor 2014), and Opera Workshop, in which she will be performing the role of Venus in Venus and Adonis this coming April. She was last seen on the Muhlenberg College stage as Wendy in their fall musical, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.Because of her strong commitment to the arts on-campus, Seana received The Woman’s Auxiliary of Muhlenberg College Music Scholarship for a Junior in 2013. She has also made the Dean’s List every semester. Seana participates in the community through her membership in Kappa Kappa Psi, a national band fraternity, and as a member of the Allentown Symphony Choir within the College Scholar Quartet.While under the private tutelage of Dr. Margaret Hanegraaf, Seana has placed in both the Art Song and Musical Theatre divisions of the Lehigh Valley chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) for the past three years. In addition, she won the Class of 1969 for Musical Excellence and Lehigh Saengerbund Vocal competitions as a sophomore.
Seana plans to attend graduate school, towards a Master of Music in Vocal Performance.
She performed on April 13, 2014 with Vincent Trovato the following:
O luce di quest’anima from Linda di Chamounix by Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
Amor by William Bolcom (1938-)
Air champêtre from Air Chantes song set by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963)
The 2013 winner of
the Martha Marcks Mack Scholarship for Young Vocal Artists,Kendra Domotor attends Ithaca College (IC) as a sophomore Vocal Performance and Music Education double major. Her academic accomplishments include induction into the Ithaca College Oracle Society in 2012 and the Pi Kappa Lambda Certificate of Honor in 2012-13. A Presidential Scholar at IC, she currently maintains a 3.9 GPA. Kendra involves herself heavily in the Ithaca community. Her memberships include Sigma Alpha Iota and the Ithaca College chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. In the summer of 2012, she represented the Music School while working as an Orientation Leader for the First Year Experience. She volunteers as an IC Move-In Crew member, Fall Welcome Ambassador, and Music School Audition Day Student Representative.
Vocally, Kendra studies privately with mezzo-soprano Dawn Pierce. While at Ithaca, she performed the role of Cathleen in the Ithaca College Light Opera’s production of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Riders to the Sea, and will be performing in their World Premiere of IC Composition Major Joseph Kaz’s opera Song of Solomon. She currently sings with the Women’s Chorale under the instruction of acclaimed choral conductor Dr. Janet Galván. In 2011, she won the Allentown Music Club’s Past Presidents’ Award. Recently she placed third in the Sophmore Women division of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Eastern Regional Competition. This summer, Kendra will be studying opera with the International Performing Arts Institute in Kiefersfelden, Germany.
She performed on April 7, 2013 with Butch Di Minico the following:
S'il est un charmant gazon by Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Una donna a quindici anni (Cosí fan tutte) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Word On My Ear by Michael Flanders (1922-1975) & Donald Swann (1923-1994)
Dan Rambo, Kendra Domotor & Cynthia Johnson
The 2012 (first winner) of the Martha Marcks Mack Scholarship for Young Vocal Artists,
Ian Murphy, attends Moravian College as a Music Education major. He studies voice under the guidance of Eduardo Azzati. Originally from Easton, PA, Ian participated in District, Regional, and State PMEA Festivals during his high school years and served in many offices within the instrumental and choral departments at Easton Area High School with directors Carole Lutte and Ed Milisits. Currently, Ian sings with the Moravian College Choir under the direction of Dr. Paula Zerkle, the Lehigh Saengerbund Chorus, and the Choir of the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. In addition, Ian also plays saxophone in the Moravian College Wind Ensemble, Marching Band and BIG Band. Ian hopes to one day become a public school music educator who instills a sense of pride, accomplishment, knowledge and inspiration into a younger generation through music.
He performed on May 6, 2012 with Eileen Wescoe the following:
Pietà, Signore with music attributed to Alessandro Stradella (1639-1682)
14. Aria sung by Elias: Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel from “Elijah” by Felix Mendelsohn (1809-1847)
along with an encore number.
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