The Oratorio Society of New York, led by Music Director Kent Tritle, presents the 44th Annual Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition Finals Concert on Saturday, August 21, 2021 at 1:30pm at Riverside Church (120th Street and Riverside Drive).

This year’s six finalists are bass Mikhail Biryukov, soprano Emily Yocum Black, baritone Ryne Cherry, soprano Emily Cedriana Donato, tenor Colin James Doyle, and soprano Rebecca Farley. These singers were selected from the 120+ singers who participated in the 2020 competition, before the pandemic forced its cancellation that year.

The annual solo competition encourages the art of oratorio singing and provides young singers the opportunity to advance their careers through prizes including the Andrew R. Preis Award (first place, $7,000), Stanley C. Meyerson Award (second place, $5,000), and the Janet Plucknett Award (third place, $3,000). Additional prizes include the Esther Korshin Award ($2,500), the Frances MacEachron Award ($1,500), and the Lyndon Woodside Encouragement Award ($1,000).

Competition Finals judges include Oratorio Society Music Director Kent Tritle, Ryan Brandau (Artistic Director of Amor Artists, Princeton Pro Musica, and Monmouth Civic Chorus), Hanako Yamaguchi (Director of Music Programming at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts), Mark Shapiro (Music Director of The Prince Edward Island Symphony and The Cecilia Chorus of New York), and Damien Sneed (Founder and Artistic Director of Chorale Le Chateau). Collaborative pianist Erika Switzer accompanies the finalists in performance.