"The competition was an incredibly special experience. It was a great experience for me being able to compete and sing in the company of so many amazing singers was a treat. The competition gave me a new confidence about my singing, especially important in that I have college auditions coming up this fall.

I learned that there are hundreds of other kids my age that love singing classical music as much as I do. I also learned that I enjoy the competition rather than loathe it. Going into the competition I was terrified at the thought of performing in front of judges and peers but by the end I realized there was nothing to be nervous about. This was just another wonderful opportunity to perform and share the music with everyone. When I sang in the finals, I realized that simply being among these final few amazing singers was a huge success in itself, and this realization helped eliminate any nervousness. It was actually quite fun!

I would definitely recommend the competition to all other singers my age. As a high school junior, it was particularly rewarding as I was able to speak with representatives of many schools that I will be applying to this fall."

"The major benefit I received was the experience of competing at such a high level surrounded by so many professionals in the field. The exposure to the superior level of talent and preparation of the performers is priceless.

The competition experience re-emphasized to me as both performer and audience member the importance of the performer sincerely moving the audience with her music.

I would definitely recommend this competition. The Classical Singer Convention as a whole is an excellent venue where performers of varied experience levels can shape, sharpen and share their gifts with each other."

"Participating in the Classical Singer Competition has benefited me in a number of ways. First, I am extremely thankful for the generous scholarships and prizes I was awarded through participating in the Competition. The competition also allowed me to meet and network with other singers, voice professors and admissions representatives. However, the biggest benefit to me was personal. Being a National Finalist and placing 2nd in the 2010 Classical Singer High School Competition has given me the confidence that what I am pursuing isn’t impossible, and that I am on the right track toward achieving my goal of becoming a professional opera singer. Thank you for creating such a wonderful opportunity and supporting singers at every stage of development!

This competition is unique in that it is a tremendous learning opportunity. Singing for and receiving written feedback from voice professors has helped me now and will be invaluable when I audition for college. The College Expo was a great opportunity to speak to admission representatives and learn about many of the top vocal music programs in the country. The Expo was much better than a regular college fair, even those specializing in performing arts, because you could spend as much time as needed with each school since the Expo ran throughout the weekend. The masterclasses were an amazing opportunity to see first hand how voice professors from different schools teach, providing tips on everything from technique, posture, diction, breathing, song choice, expression, what to expect in college, and I learned overall how to improve my performance.

I would definitely recommend the Competition! In fact, I have been recommending the Competition to other high school singers and will continue to. There aren’t many competitions for high school students under age 18, especially on a national level. The Classical Singer Competition consistently attracts the finest high school singers from across the country, so you get to meet and hear talented singers from outside of your immediate area.

My recommendation is to try to participate more than once if possible—at least by Sophomore year, Junior year the latest—and take advantage of every opportunity. Also, you don’t have to be a national finalist to be eligible for scholarship opportunities. I was 14 and a freshman in high school when I first learned about Classical Singer and the HS Competition, just in time to compete at the final first round location at the 2008 Convention held in Brooklyn, NY. Even though I only made it to the second round that year, I learned so much by attending the master classes, watching the older singers perform in the final concert, not to mention the College Expo, which was a little overwhelming the first time. It made me much more prepared for the second and third years to know what to expect and how to prepare. The competition keeps getting better and better each year, and I look forward to participating in the University competition in the future!"

"I received a tuition scholarship to the AIMS summer program and was able to go to Graz, Austria over the summer. Because of this opportunity provided from the Competition, I auditioned for agents and I was able to participate as a finalist in Meistersinger.

The Competition taught me to stay focused and consistent during auditions. I not only would recommend the Competition to my colleagues, I would love to audition again as well!"

"The Classical Singer Competition was an extremely beneficial learning experience which I enjoyed immensely. I benefited from all the amazing feedback the judges gave me after each round. I learned so much about accessing technique while at the same time, bringing across the text, emotions and a bit of yourself, to an audience. I would definitely recommend the Classical Singer Competition to anyone my age because of the positive performance experience, with amazing, helpful evaluations, it presents to a young singer."

"The Classical Singer Competition was incredible! One of my favorite elements of the experience was being surrounded by a throng of fellow high school students who are just as crazy about classical singing as I am! I was immersed in a sea of tremendously talented and vibrantly enthusiastic musicians. That's important as a young singer, I think. We feed off of one another. It's inspiration. It's encouragement. It is a competition, of course. And there is an competitive atmosphere but, in my experience, it was quite a healthy one. Also, there were the magnificent masterclasses! Such wonderful teachers, artists, speakers. I have a whole notebook filled with delicious insights, not just having to do with singing, but concerning college applications, career planning, etc. Perhaps the most important thing I can say is this: It was wonderful to win—really an unexpected thrill—but just being there was enough. The first place prize wasn't even the icing on the cake. It was beyond that. It was a beautiful decoration, an embellishment. The experience would have been just as valuable had I not made it past the first cut. I mean that.

I learned not to have expectations. I mean that in both directions. Don't expect to advance. Don't expect not to. Don't expect to win. Don't expect not to. Just be an artist and create something meaningful and authentic. I say this because, I had an accompanist for the entire competition. He lived close and was able to commute back and forth as I advanced. There were eight finalists - all extraordinary singers. We were told that at the final ceremony only the winner would have to sing. I "knew" that I wouldn't have to sing, because there was no way I was going to win! My accompanist wasn't even going to be there. I brought my music for good measure, set it under my chair, and gave it no more thought. Then the accompanist who was available for us approached me and said, "You have your own accompanist, right?" I replied, "Actually, he couldn't make it, but you don't have to worry. I won't be singing tonight." He very wisely said, "Let me see the music, just in case." Sure enough I had to sing. And nobody was more surprised than I. So don't have expectations. Be open and flexible and ready for surprise.

Would I recommend the Competition to other singers my age? Without a doubt!"