Youth Vocal Competition
One of the core purposes of the William E. Schmidt Foundation is to nurture and encourage young people in the arts. An effective means to achieve this goal has been the Schmidt Youth Vocal Competition.
The competition began in Indiana in 1992, and has since branched out to additional venues across the country. Participants are talented high school sophomores, juniors and seniors, who are recommended by their choral directors or vocal teachers. They compete for cash awards of various amounts, receive feedback from a distinguished panel of judges, and are invited to attend a master class.
Many past winners of the Schmidt Youth Vocal Competition have gone on to pursue music degrees and successful careers. Those who have chosen other career paths have expressed gratitude for how much they learned by participating in the competition.