Benton-Schmidt Voice Competition

The annual Benton-Schmidt Graduate Voice Competition provides scholarship awards up to $25,000 to promising incoming graduate students. Awards will be given based on excellence in vocal performance and versatility as revealed through the performance audition. Scholarship prizes are for the academic year beginning the following Fall semester.

To receive a scholarship, singers must apply to the University of Oklahoma School of Music as a graduate student pursuing a MM or DMA in voice. All applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 from their undergraduate Program. This application must be completed by the deadline listed below. The scholarship will be received when the student enters the graduate program the following Fall semester.

Participants in the Benton-Schmidt Competition are required to present 6 selections covering all major languages (French, German, Italian, and English). The selections must include 2 opera or oratorio arias, 2 art songs, and 2 arias or songs of your choice.

2021 Dates

December 1, 2020 - DMA Voice Application Deadline

December 15, 2020 - MM Voice Application Deadline

January 19, 2021 - Deadline for Benton-Schmidt Competition Applications

February 20, 2021 - Competition takes place on OU Norman Campus (Holmberg Hall, RPAC)

Before applying for the competition, you must submit your graduate application to the OU School of Music.

For more info, or to apply, go to www.ou.edu/finearts/music/student-resources/competitions/benton-schmidt