International Vocal Competition 2018

The American Protégé International Vocal Competition is designed for singers who would like to challenge themselves in a very competitive environment. The Competition is open to solo vocalists and vocal groups of all ages, nationalities and countries.

Participants are required to submit video recording materials for the audition.

Singers from 20 countries applied for this year’s Competition: different U.S. states, Canada, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, China, India, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan,  Philippines and Australia.

Eligibility

We invite school students and adults to participate in the Competition. There is no age limit for the adult participants.

Multiple winners will be chosen in each of the following age groups:

Awards

First and Second Place Winners performed at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City on:

Saturday, December 15, 2018 at 7:30 PM,

Sunday, December 16, 2018 at 7:30 PM, and 

Sunday, December 23, 2018 at 7:30 PM

$350 Scholarship, Judges’ Favorite Award Trophy, Judges’ Distinction Award Trophy and other Special Awards were granted based on the judges recommendations.

American Protégé Vocal Competition 2018 Results

Jury’s Favorite ($360 Scholarship and Plaque Trophy) Award Winner:

Emily Taylor Kaufman is 13 years old and has been performing around South Florida since she was 6. She loves singing “the oldies” at senior communities as well as “pop” songs at venues around town.  She is a featured National Anthem singer for over 30 organizations including the Florida Marlins Baseball games as well as The Miami Heat Basketball games.  She has been in 18 musical theater productions. Emily was hand-picked by Phil Collins for his mentoring program, The Little Dreams Foundation, and has performed with Phil onstage in 2016 & 2017. Emily is the 2017 winner of the South Florida Kids Got Talent competition, and the American Protege Vocal Competition receiving the Judges Distinction Award.  In 2018 Emily beat out 300 contestants of all ages to win the “STARZ of the Future” vocal competition in West Palm Beach, was the winner of WESTON Idol as well as OUR TOWN vocal competition.  Emily has earned high accolades for tap and jazz performances at regional and national dance competitions. She loves playing piano and was awarded honors for Oral and Written Music Theory this year. Emily is a 7th year girl scout as well as a Youth Ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Emily aspires to perform on Broadway and to sell out arenas as a pop star someday.

Judges Distinction Awards (Plaque Trophies) Winners:

Naphat Luke Sathienthirakul (Luke), 10, is a student from Bangkok International Preparatory & Secondary School. Luke has been singing Broadway musical since 4 years old. He is not only interesting in singing but also acting and dancing (Hip-hop, Performance dance and B-boy). He achieved Distinction for Grade 2nd and 4th Music Theatre Broadway Singing from London College of Music. He used to sing for Thailand’s Ministry Education and Ministry of Culture. Luke is one the winner of Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra Search for Talent Vocal Competition 2017. He joined singing Broadway with RBSO concert in the park series2017-2018 and RBSO Young Talent Sings Broadway Concert 2018. Luke also performed in many musical show such as Tales of the Wicked, Wizard of Oz, Matilda and other famous Thai’s local musicals.

Siri Chaikul, 11, is from Bangkok, Thailand. Siri started singing at age 6 and can sing in many styles of music. He studies Classical, Musical Theatre singing with Lullalit Supatravanij and Pop, Thai songs with Chatchavet Somsup. Siri is a winner of Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra Search for Talent 2016 singing competition. He sang in the Children’s Chorus of Opera Siam’s production of “The Happy Prince” and played the role of Baby Buddha in Somtow Sucharitkul’s opera “The Faithful Son”. Siri also starred in Thailand’s popular TV Singing Show “Wekids season 2”. Most recently, Siri won a child lead role in the new Thai musical “Sohn” which will be performed in July 2018.  Siri also plays the piano and works part-time as the Young News Reporter of NBT World Channel which airs every Saturday, a job which he won through Thailand News Reading Contest on Children’s Day.

Avery Whitacre, age 13 is a mezzo soprano from Boca Raton, Florida. Avery is an incoming 8th grader at BAK Middle School of the Arts where she is in the Musical Theater program.  Avery has performed professional theater at Broward Stage Door and has also been in multiple productions at Broadway Bound in Coral Springs. Avery studies voice and music theory with Mike Soper Music in Wellington, Florida.

Monica Canedo was born in Fairfax, VA in 2004.She showed interest for music since she was very young. She started singing when she was 5 years old while she was in Church. Monica participated in La Voz Kids (Telemundo-Miami) in 2015 making it to the finals. She attended BAK Middle of the arts in West Palm Beach where she participated in ACDA 2016 Honors Choir in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This past year she attended California School of the Arts in Duarte, CA attending the conservatory of Musical Theater. Her dream is to be on Broadway one day.

Aida Skaraite, age 14 lives in Lemont, IL. Her love of singing began when she joined a Lithuanian choir. She has taken voice lessons for six years. Aida has won numerous accolades. For the past two years, Aida won 2nd place in Hal Leonard’s Art Song Competition. Last year she won 1st place in the Sinfonietta Bel Canto’s Vocal Competition (SBC), 3rd place in Hal Leonard’s Musical Theatre Competition, and 3rd place in Dupage County Talent Contest. In 2016, Aida was a finalist in SBC’s Voice, a finalist in Geneva’s Got Talent, and Honorable Mention in Musichorale’s Scholarship Competition. In 2015 Aida achieved 5th place in Lithuania’s Baltic Voice competition. Last year the mayor of Juodkrante generously honored Aida a prize for her participation again. In 2014, Aida won 1st place in Rialto Idol Junior contest. Aida is excited to be attending Alice S. Pfaelzer Tuition-Free Conservatory for her 2nd year.

Eden Hebron is a versatile, fifteen-year-old singer from Parkland, Fl.  Eden began voice lessons at seven.  She performs locally and regionally in festivals and events including county fairs, nursing homes, charity events, and local concerts. On February 14, Eden was in room 1216 where three lives out of a total 17 were lost during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas School shooting, including one of Eden’s best friends, Alyssa Alhadeff. This tragedy was a defining moment in Eden’s life and since this event, Eden has become a prolific and well-known activist who writes and speaks for gun control reform both in the US and abroad. During this time, music has emerged for Eden as an increasingly important and effective way for her to channel her energies positively. She has used her vocal talents to fundraise for ongoing behavioral health services in her community. Under the guidance of Michael Soper and Peter Yarrow, she is currently transforming her lived experience into music through song-writing.

Kevin Yiyang Li, a Grade 11 honor roll student of Canada’s St. George’s school, has been learning the piano since the age of four and subsequently voice at the age of thirteen. Kevin have performed and competed in many local festivals resulting in top prizes. Having undergone years of piano/theory under the tutelage of Alex Lim and speech and drama sessions with the Opus Academy complements Kevin’s training in Vocal studies.  In the last couple of years, Kevin was able to complete his DipLCM performance degree in piano and singing with the London College of Music as well as Associateship diplomas in Speech and Drama with both the London College of Music and the Trinity College of London. Kevin was also accepted further to pursue summer vocal studies at the famed 2017 Interlochen camp held in Michigan.

Third Place and Honorable Mention Winners will be notified of their standing via email.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WINNERS!