Sophomore BFA Musical Theatre major, Christian Clausnitzer, is a semi-finalist in the fifth Annual NextGen National Competition.
NextGen is a vocal competition created by American Pops Orchestra and Music Director Luke Frazier, a WVU alumnus, with the purpose of identifying young aspiring vocalists from across the United States and providing them the opportunity to work with and learn from industry professionals, as well as to perform live with an orchestra. Each year, NextGen participants compete for the chance to win a monetary prize and various paid performance opportunities. The First Place female and male winners will receive $2,000 and the Second Place winners will receive $1,000. All winners will receive paid performance opportunities during APO’s 2022-2023 season.
With a mission to promote and preserve classic American music, APO requires participants to perform pre-1970 songs and encourages them to sing lesser-known, classic pieces that demonstrate their vocal capabilities and connect audiences of all ages. All aspects of the competition are offered 100% free of charge to contestants, giving students and young vocalists of all backgrounds the opportunity to participate in the competition and to work with APO. From hundreds of applicants, 30 semi-finalists were chosen to compete in the upcoming round to be broadcast on January 29.
The event is being shared with the public through a private broadcast on Saturday, January 29 from 8-9 p.m. ET. Free registration for online access is available at bit.ly/3nnPLqC; a donation of $25 is suggested.
Ten contestants from the semi-finals will be selected to advance to the live final round in March 2022. The finalists will be chosen by a panel of judges and the virtual audience, who will receive a voting link following the January 29 broadcast to support their favorite semi-finalists. The judges are: Broadway actress Aisha Jackson, U.S. Navy Band musician Cory Parker, Metropolitan Opera soprano Brittany Renee Robinson, and Broadway director and choreographer Tara Young. The 5th Annual NextGen National Competition finalists will be announced on Sunday, January 30.