Congratulations to the winners of our
2026 songSLAM competition!
Stay tuned for our virtual songSLAM and announcement of the
2026 Commission Prize Winner!
First Place
TEAM 14 - EN EL BOSQUE DE LOS SUEÑOS
(text by Adolfo Montaño Vivas)
Sasha Gutiérrez Montaño, soprano, Natasha Gwirceman, pianist & Santiago Gutiérrez Montaño, composer
Second Place
TEAM 4 - THAT’S ALL I REMEMBER
Erin Reppenhagen, mezzo-soprano, Austin Philemon, pianist, Thomas Palmer, composer & Susan Bywaters, poet
Third Place (tie)
TEAM 2 - RED, RED SKY (text by Mary MacLane)
Melaina Mills, soprano, Giulia Magarelli, pianist & Sophie Kastner, composer
TEAM 9 - WINTER STARS (text by Sara Teasdale)
Michelle Trovato, soprano & Clint Borzoni, composer & pianist
2025 songSLAM Commission winner
World Premiere Performance
Trial
by composer Joshua Bornfield
texts by Tom Haviv
Marie Herrington, soprano & Timothy Krippner, piano
Joshua Bornfield is a composer, performer, educator, and arts advocate based in Baltimore, Maryland. He has had works commissioned by organizations as varied as Washington National Opera and wildUp. He has won awards for his orchestral, choral, and chamber music. Bornfield regularly performs with multiple choral and vocal ensembles such as critically acclaimed chamber ensemble Third Practice, Handel Choir of Baltimore, The Choir of St. David’s Church (Baltimore), and both NEXT and Peabody Renaissance Ensemble of the Peabody Institute. He directs the War Memorial Arts Initiative, an arts equity & advocacy program supported by Baltimore City’s Department of General Services.
Joshua is the winner of the 2025 songSLAM Commission Prize.
