High School Students to Compete in Michael Feinstein's Vocal Competition, Today

High school vocalists will compete on Saturday, June 14 at a regional for the Great American Songbook Vocal Academy & Competition.

"Through this competition, we are reaching a new generation to teach this music and the American history that inspired and influenced these composers," said Michael Feinstein, the Initiative's founder and noted American Songbook ambassador.

The Northeast regional is at Yamaha Artist Services Piano Salon, 689 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York. The public is invited to attend a free performance by the competitors at 7 p.m.

The Northeast regional competitors are:

Caitlin Aloia - Doylestown, PA (Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School)

Joshua Batstone - Fulton, NY (Home school)

Merissa Beddows - Yonkers, NY (Yonkers Montessori Academy)

Phoebe Costello - New York, NY (LaGuardia HS of Performing Arts)

Claire Dickson - Medford, MA (Home school)

Matt Hoffman - Stony Brook, NY (Ward Melville High School)

Sydney Howard - Fairport, NY (Fairport High School)

Adam Kruschwitz - Rochester, NY (Brighton High School)

Sophia Scarpulla - Rochester, NY (Greece Arcadia High School)

Noah Virgile - Lexington, MA (Lexington High School)

Produced by the Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative, the annual endeavor is the only U.S. competition dedicated solely to the music from Broadway, Hollywood musicals, and the Tin Pan Alley era of the early to mid-twentieth century. Finalists will then convene July 20-25 at the Initiative's headquarters in Carmel, Indiana. Five-time Grammy nominee, Michael Feinstein, and other top music industry professionals will conduct workshops and master classes throughout the week, leading up to the final competition performance on July 25 in the 1,600 seat Palladium concert hall at the Center for the Performing Arts.

At the July 25 finale, one student will be awarded the title of Great American Songbook Youth Ambassador, $3000, and the chance of a lifetime: the opportunity to perform with Michael Feinstein. The Youth Ambassador will serve for one year, with opportunities to perform throughout the year. Other awards include Songbook Inspiration Award and Songbook Celebration Award, each receiving $1000 toward continuing music education.

Michael Feinstein founded the Great American Songbook Initiative in 2007 in order to preserve, promote, and celebrate the music of the Great American Songbook. The mission of the Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative is to inspire and educate by celebrating the Great American Songbook. The work of the Feinstein Initiative includes:

* High School Vocal Competition

* Educational programming

* Library, Archive, and Gallery

* Great American Songbook Hall of Fame

Michael Feinstein, the multi-platinum-selling, two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award-nominated entertainer dubbed "The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook," is considered one of the premier interpreters of American standards. His 200-plus shows a year have included performances at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House and the Hollywood Bowl as well as the White House and Buckingham Palace.

More than simply a performer, Feinstein has received national recognition for his commitment to celebrating America's popular song and preserving its legacy for the next generation. In 2007, he founded the Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative, dedicated to celebrating the art form and preserving it through educational programs, Master Classes, and the annual High School Vocal Academy and Competition, which awards prizes to students across the country. Michael serves on the Library of Congress' National Recording Preservation Board; an organization dedicated to ensuring the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America's sound recording heritage.

Feinstein serves as Artistic Director of the Palladium Center for the Performing Arts, a $170 million, three-theatre venue in Carmel, Indiana, which opened in January 2011. The Center is home to the Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative Archive and gallery. Starting in 2010, he became the director of the Jazz and Popular Song Series at New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center. In 2013, he replaced the late Marvin Hamlisch as the lead conductor of the Pasadena Pops.

Feinstein can be seen on PBS in his award winning series, Michael Feinstein's American Songbook. He can also be heard on NPR in his current show, Song Travels with Michael Feinstein. His new book, The Gershwins and Me, which is combined with a new CD of Gershwin standards performed with Cyrus Chestnut at the piano, was released by Simon & Schuster in October 2012.

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