Katherine Skafidas ’20, a voice performance major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Rose, Jules R. and Stanford S. Setnor School of Music and student of Professor Janet Brown, won the $500 Neva Pilgrim Award in the Civic Morning Musicals Vocal Competition held in November at Onondaga Community College.
Skafidas, a Liverpool native, received the top honor in the 17-21 age category.
Twenty-four singers from across New York State competed in the competition for $2,900 in prizes. The singers represented the studios of 19 teachers.
Judges for the 42nd annual competition were internationally acclaimed soprano Alexandra Deshorties, who just sang the role of Lady Macbeth with Syracuse Opera; Katie Hannigan, renowned mezzo on the Nazareth College faculty; distinguished tenor Mark Goodrich, originally from Upstate New York and now teaches at Cal State – Fullerton; and conductor Christian Capocaccia, newly appointed artistic director of Syracuse Opera, Syracuse Youth Orchestra and associate conductor of Symphoria.