The American International Czech and Slovak Voice Competition, held Oct 10-12, 2024, takes place every two years and has been running since 2003. Originally called the Czech and Slovak Music Interpretation Competition, it was created in 1991 to promote Czech and Slovak music among aspiring young singers. Initially, the competition aimed to exchange artists between Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and North America. In 2003, it became international, made possible through collaboration with UW-Green Bay, the Sharon Chmel Resch Foundation, and Professor Sarah Meredith, who founded and directed the first American International Czech and Slovak Voice Competition. The event was held at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts, in Fort Howard Hall.
This competition consists of three rounds: preliminaries, semifinals, and the final, each starting at 10 a.m. over the course of three days. It is open to singers from any country, and this year’s event attracted a diverse list of participants. Fifteen singers from various countries competed for the grand prize and recognition, with the first-place prize being $5,000 and the last-place prize $1,000. For the competition, a small set of rules must be followed, including an age limit of 35 years old. All music performed by the competitors must be memorized, and no arias can be repeated in later rounds. Throughout the competition, all participants adhered to these rules, regardless of the complexity or length of the pieces they performed.
Day one (10/10/24) Preliminaries:
Day one is the preliminaries, starting promptly at 10am, each singer gets 10 minutes to perform and they must perform either German Lied or Standard Italian aria in front of a vast audience and a jury who are there judging. This day consists of all singers except those who previously won first place in any other international competitions in the last 2 years, they can skip to the semi-finals. 12 singers accompanied by a masterful pianist, that played for each person throughout the 3 days, in front of a jury of 5 who all have impressive backgrounds in music. The competition is fast paced, letting singers perform one right after the other with 10 minutes max for each, despite the audience and jury watching them in this small space they all beamed with confidence and passion while performing. Given that they are all competing for a prize only one can take home, they all exhibited amazing sportsmanship until the very end. Everyone sang proudly, their voices projecting throughout the small auditorium was quite captivating to those all around, in this round of 12, 8 advanced.
Day two (10/11/24) Semifinals:
On day two, each singer was given 12 minutes to perform, choosing either an aria in the original language, an aria by a Czech or Slovak composer, or a French aria. Of the eight singers who advanced from the preliminaries, three additional singers joined, having skipped the first round due to winning previous international competitions. These singers were Leah Yackanech, winner of the 2022 King’s Peak International Music Competition, Johana Will, first-prize winner of the Heartland Sings Vocal Competition in Indiana, and Nina Krizova, who won the Mikulas Schneider-Trnavsky International Singing Competition in 2023.
The 11 competitors, once again accompanied by the pianist and judged by the same jury, performed in front of their supporters. This round was critical, as it was their last chance to impress the jury before the finals. In the first round some competitors were dressed quite casually, such as Erin Ridge, a multidisciplinary artist, who wore wide leg pants and a sleeveless mock neck top whereas in this round she wore a more professional black one shoulder jumpsuit and heels. Many competitors were much more relaxed in the first round, their attire did well to reflect that and when things began to get more serious, they dressed more serious and refined, reflecting their determination. In this round, only seven singers advanced to the finals.
Day three (10/12/24) Finals:
The final day of the competition began at 10 a.m., with each competitor given 14 minutes to perform a selection from Art songs by Czech or Slovak composers, Czech or Slovak arias, or French arias. Two additional judges joined the five from the previous rounds. Despite the growing tension, the competitors maintained their composure and confidence.
Erin Ridge opened the final round, performing three songs with precision and poise. Following her, Julia Johnson captivated the audience with her second piece, which showcased her ability to convey intense emotional shifts. Nina Krizova delivered a stunning performance, excelling in her transitions between roles and fully immersing herself in each piece.
The competition continued with memorable performances from Revere Taylor and Johana Will. Taylor’s deep baritone voice stood out as the only baritone in the competition, while Will’s passionate performance closed the event on a high note.
After a brief lunch break, the finalists were announced. Alexander Nick and Johana Will did not place but were recognized for their achievements. The remaining winners were announced, with Weronika Wojtkowska taking fifth place and a $1,000 prize, Nina Krizova in fourth with $1,500, and Revere Taylor in third with a $3,000 prize. Julia Johnson received the second-place prize of $2,500, along with the Kapralova prize of $500. Finally, Erin Ridge won first place and the $5,000 prize.
Day three also featured reflections from the competitors about what drew them to this unique event. Both Erin Ridge and Julia Johnson expressed their deep connection to Czech music. Ridge noted, “Czech music! I love Czech music,” while Johnson added, “The language is so beautiful, and the repertoire is so unique. It’s very special.”
Throughout the competition, it became evident how challenging the preparation process is for such a specialized event. Ridge said, “One of the most [fun] challenges was choosing the repertoire. You really need to choose a repertoire that is strategic. You can’t just fit… You know, the requirements and finding repertoire that really speaks to you.” Johnson echoed this, emphasizing the importance of pacing oneself vocally and emotionally during the competition: “And then, pacing yourself vocally and emotionally every day because it is such different repertoires. You don’t know if you’re going to advance or not, so staying mentally prepared so you can be present and authentic is the big challenge.”
For many of the singers, simply participating in the competition was a win in itself. As Julia Johnson stated, “Winning is so wonderful because we pour so much of our time, effort, money, and general energy into preparing for things like this, and this career requires a lot. But this sounds cheesy: winning means so many things. Just being at the level of the final 5 or 7… or 9 is already a huge win because the competition is so tight. But getting to win, especially the monetary support, is so great, and that affirmation that you’re on the right path is also so great.”
Erin Ridge also talked about the reality of competing in stuff like this for young vocalists: “It’s such an expensive career. We put forth so much of our money to coach, prepare, fly ourselves here, pay for our food, and pay for our Ubers. It’s like, thank you! Maybe I actually made a little money with this job. So we treat it like a job, and it’s really nice to be compensated for our work.”
The American International Czech and Slovak Voice Competition is not only a competition to win prizes; it’s a celebration of cultural heritage and a platform for aspiring young singers. By attending performances, sharing music, and engaging with local competitions, such as this one, the community can help preserve the rich traditions of Czech and Slovak music.