Congratulations to the April 21st SEMIFINAL winners!
This SEMIFINAL was the first to feature a new format of BOTH live audience AND professional judges scoring, each counting for 50% of each contestants' score. At the end of the event, the performers received encouragement and constructive words by the professional judges, Lynn Jordan, Daren Butler and Jesse Fernandez.
It was Alison Luff, a junior at Klein Collins, who won first place and $500, also securing the first spot for the 2007 FINAL competition! Sofia Buitrago, a Junior at Klein Forest and perhaps the "winningest" singer in the Young Voices of Houston competition, took second place and $300! Harry Perrin, a senior at Klein Collins, won $200 for third place in his dynamic return to the the YVOH stage for one last performance before he graduates. Once again, Klein ISD swept the finals!
The next semifinal is May 19th, and (as always) is open to ANYONE who wants to compete! Next year's FINALS will be in early May, meaning we will have at least eight opportunities for all old and new contestants to give it a go. In fact, starting with the April semis, we will have a combination of audience and professional judges determine the monthly winners. Congrats to ALL ELEVEN! You made us proud!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!
Alison Luff
Junior, Klein Collins High SchoolGrand Prize Winner
$500
Sofia Buitrago
Junior, Klein Forest High SchoolSecond Place Winner
$300
Harry Perrin
Senior, Klein Collins High SchoolThird Place Winner
$200
Congratulations to ALL our finalists, in order by appearance...
These finalists were selected from hundreds of students to represent their high schools and ISDs in the third season of the Young Voices of Houston semifinal singing competition for students. Congratulations to ALL of our finalists!CHRISTEN SAWYER - Junior, Clements High School
CHARLOTTE BYRD - Freshman, Klein Collins High School
HANNAH MILLER - Freshman, Klein Collins High School
LAUREN KENNEDY - Senior, Home-school
JACOB BURNSIDE - Freshman, Hightower High School
ALISON LUFF - Junior, Klein Collins High School
ROBIN VAN ZANDT - Sophomore, Elkins High School
HEATHER BUZONAS - Senior, Klein Collins High School
REAGAN LEWIS - Freshman, Cy-Fair High School
SOFIA BUITRAGO - Junior, Klein Forest High School
HARRY PERRIN - Senior, Klein Collins High School
About the Judges...
Lynn Jordan
Conductor, singer, keyboardist and teacher, Lynn Jordan has been musically active for over 30 years in a variety of music venues in both Houston and Las Vegas. In addition to teaching privately, Ms. Jordan also teaches public school music, as well as serving as a United Methodist Music Director.Ms. Jordan received her Bachelor of Music degree, cum laude, in Vocal Music Education, from the University of Houston and continued graduate studies in Choral Conducting both there and at Southwest Texas State University. Recently, she completed a course of study at SMU's Perkins School of Theology to become a Certified Director of Music in the United Methodist Church and had the opportunity to study with such notables as Rosemary Heffley, Michael Hawn, Jane Marshall, and Alice Parker.
In recent years, Ms. Jordan has served as Music Director/Worship Leader for churches in the Houston area and has been a member, section director, and patron for the Houston Choral Society for several years. She holds memberships in several music organizations and is also the mother of five grown children and the grandmother of two lively grandsons. She currently resides in Tomball, Texas.
Daren Butler
Daren Butler received his Master of Music and Master of Divinity Joint Degree from Baylor University/Truett Seminary in the spring of 2004. While at Baylor, Daren performed with the performance group Showtime! for three years, singing vocal jazz, popular music, and musical theater. He also won the junior division of the NATS regional singing competition in the fall of 2001.Daren's musical theater credits include Billy Crocker in Anything Goes, Rolf in The Sound of Music (twice), Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls, and roles in Big River, She Loves Me, and Man of La Mancha.This summer, Daren will be singing the role of David in South Main Baptist Church's (Houston) production of Arthur Honegger's King David, to be performed at South Main and at the Texas Choral Directors Association convention in San Antonio. Daren currently serves as tenor section director and leader for the Houston Choral Society, and he works as Music Associate at South Main Baptist Church in Houston.
Jesse Fernandez
Jesse Fernandez earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Southwestern University, where he graduated cum laude. He was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Chi, Pi Kappa Lambda, and was an active member of Delta Omicron, the national music fraternity. At Southwestern, Jesse was active as a soloist, performing with the university chorale and orchestra in great choral works such as Bach's Mass in B Minor and Handel's Judas Macabeus.He recently toured Chicago as a part of the University opera theater program, performing art songs by Debussy, Faure, and Schubert, as well as Puccini's opera Gianni Schicchi. In April 2000, Jesse was invited as a soloist to perform with the Austin Youth Symphony. He has also actively pursued theatrical interests, as a featured performer in Dames at Sea, Godspell, Anything Goes, and Man of La Mancha. Michael Barnes of The Austin American Statesman, in his review of Godspell, described Jesse's voice as "especially agile [and] expressive". In the summer of 2000, Jesse was invited to be a featured actor in the University of Wyoming's summer theater program, where he starred in productions of You're a Good Man Charlie Brown and The Foreigner. Since graduation, Jesse has been a member of the Austin Vocal Arts Ensemble, recently returning from a performance of Haydn's Mass in time of War at Carnegie Hall, and is a current member of the Houston Choral Society.
