26 Up-And-Coming Singers To Compete in Duke Ellington Center's 1st Jazz Vocalist Competition

The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts (DECFA) will launch its 1st Jazz Vocal Competition at New York City's 40th Annual 52nd Street Duke Ellington Jazz Festival on Saturday, October 25, 2014. The Competition, which will take place between 1:00 and 4:00 PM in the Performance Area at the southeast corner of 52nd Street and Avenue of Americas,, will feature 26 talented up-and-coming jazz vocalists who will be vying for cash prizes and opportunities to perform at future concerts and musical events presented by the Ellington Center for the Arts. .

"The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts was founded in 2004 with a mission to preserve and advance into the 21st century and beyond the creative and philosophical legacy of Duke Ellington, an American icon who is one of the most prolific musical geniuses of the 20th century, through performances and education," says the noted dancer/choreographer Mercedes Ellington, the Duke's granddaughter, who is artistic director of DECFA, which she founded in 2004.. "This Vocal Competition, introducing new jazz vocalists from diverse backgrounds and providing them with public and media recognition, is something Duke would strongly support."

Each vocal competitor will perform two musical numbers of their choice. They will be supported on keyboard by Rachel A. Kaufman. Two finalists will be awarded cash prizes; the First Place winner will receive $250, and the first runner-up will be awarded $150.

The judging panel includes Mercedes Ellington; renowned jazz singer Antoinette Montague; award-winning songwriter, composer and arranger Larry Kerchner; and Marilyn Lester, executive director of DECFA. All are members of the Ellington Center's Board of Directors.

The competitors, listed in alphabetical order, are: Colette Boudreaux, Kasey Cardin, Catherine Cavender, Tosca Colibri, Candace Calcleasure, Emily Dennis, Eustacia Foster, Jaymee Frankel, Rachel Haines, Stella Heath, Kathryn Holtkamp, Kelsey Anne Johnson, Catharine Kay, Robert Mintz, Myriam Phiro, Elsa Scott, David Serero, Shuuhei Shimizu, Katie Rose Summerfield, Jasmine Thomas, Kimberly Michelle Thomas, Kevin Tucker, Charles Turner, Dennis Williams and Noel Wippler.

As an added treat, international recording artist Luca Foffano, an acclaimed Venetian tenor who is in New York City recording a new album, will perform either before the start of the competition or immediately following the first round of the competition.