Old Member George Robarts (2013) wins the Lotte Lenya Competition
George Robarts has won the $25,000 First Prize at the Lotte Lenya Competition in the USA, awarded by the Kurt Weill Foundation. Judges described Robarts’s first-place performance with enthusiastic phrases such as 'phenomenal actor', 'every moment spontaneous', and 'impeccable delivery of lyrics'. Especially taken with his performance of Kurt Weill’s 'Muschel von Margate', they awarded it a rare near-perfect score.
The annual competition was established in 1998 by the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music to honour the centenary of the birth of Lotte Lenya. An Austrian-American singer, Lenya was one of the foremost interpreters of the music of her first husband, Kurt Weill. Focusing on acting and vocal skill, the Lenya Competition celebrates talented singing actors of all nationalities. This year marked the most international field in the Competition's history.
Each of the 11 finalists performed a continuous 15-minute programme of four contrasting numbers, including a selection by Kurt Weill. These performances were judged by a panel of acclaimed artists: Broadway conductor and music director Rob Berman, singer-actor-director-teacher Catherine Malfitano, and stage director Alison Moritz.
Watch George's performance on the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music's Youtube page:
Matriculating in 2013, George studied Modern Languages at 91»Æ¹ÏÖ±²¥. He is now a prizewinning Baritone and Opera Translator.