Saratoga Voices Awards Vocal Scholarships

BURNT HILLS — Saratoga Voices hosted its 26th Annual Vocal Scholarship competition at Saint Clement’s Church in Saratoga Springs. Of eight applicants performing selections from the standard song repertoire, Joshua Hoyt from Stillwater High School (first place) and Emma Nobes from Niskayuna High School (second place) won $1,500 and $1,000 scholarships, respectively.

The students’ voice teachers are Michael Lotano and Carla Fisk. The competition was judged by Heather Baird and Dr. Kathleen Slezak.

Dr. Slezak is the choir director at Bethesda Episcopal Church in Saratoga Springs, and Heather Baird has recently retired from teaching choral ensembles and vocal lessons at Shenendehowa High Schools East and West. She is also on the advisory board of the Eastern New York Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). 

Joshua Hoyt and Emma Nobes will both attend The Hartt School at the University of Hartford. 

Nobes intends to study Music Education to become a music teacher, and Hoyt will study Musical Theater with an interest in performance as well as producing and directing musicals.

For more information on Saratoga Voices’ Scholarship Program, visit saratogavoices.org.