First premiered in NYC in 2015, the songSLAM has now been or will be co-presented with regional partners in four countries and 10 different cities around the globe: NYC, Toronto, Vancouver, London, Ljubljana, Ann Arbor, Cincinnati, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Waco, with even more growth on the horizon.

TEAM 1

Zachary Sloan is a multi-instrumentalist and composer who recently debuted his first musical, The Time the Axeman Came to Town. His music incorporates older aesthetics while focusing on contemporary issues. He primarily writes for musical theater, though he loves writing for chamber ensembles like the Momenta Quartet or Hub New Music.

Victoria Popritkin, soprano, is a masters student at Binghamton University. Her past and upcoming roles include First Lady in Magic Flute and Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto with Tri-Cities Opera, and Adele in Die Fledermaus and Suor Angelica in Suor Angelica with BU. Victoria holds degrees in voice and neuroscience from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Neill Campbell is a New York City-based pianist acclaimed for his work in contemporary American opera. Recent highlights include Eurydice with Opera Grand Rapids, and the world premiere of Touch with Opera Birmingham. A versatile pianist and music director, Neill is equally at home in musical theater and as a recitalist.

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TEAM 2

Michael Manganiello is a doctoral candidate and faculty member at the Peabody Institute, where they teach voice and professional studies. Michael specialises in vocal pedagogy, early music, and contemporary classical and commercial music. Their recital programmes explore identity and phenomenology, examining themes at the core of human experience.

Stephanie Baird is a Baltimore-based pianist and teacher who is passionate about collaboration. She performs regularly with soloists, ensembles, and theater companies throughout the Baltimore/D.C. area. She graduated with a Master of Music Degree in Collaborative Piano from the Peabody Conservatory in 2021.

Joshua Bornfield is a composer, performer, educator, and arts advocate. They have had works commissioned by Washington National Opera, Lorelei Ensemble, Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus, wildUp, and more. He directs the War Memorial Arts Initiative, an arts equity & advocacy program supported by Baltimore City’s Department of General Services.

‍Tom Haviv is the cofounder and publisher of Ayin Press. His debut book of poetry, A Flag of No Nation, was published in 2019 by Jewish Currents Press and reissued by Ayin Press in 2024. He is also author of two children’s books, Woven&The Porcupine Prince, and the creator of The Hamsa Flag Project.

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TEAM 3

Ann McDonald Weible is a 2023 graduate of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where she majored in voice performance and minored in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. At CCM: Nella in Gianni Schicchi, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte. At Derby Dinner: Star-to-Be in Annie, Urleen in Footloose. At Pandora: Emma in The Prom, Maureen in Rent.

Braden Allison (they/them) is a young theatrical composer whose passion is in marrying contemporary and avant-garde storytelling with classical music traditions. They graduated from Ball State University this past Spring and have been studying composition with Adam Guettel since the summer of 2023. Please say hi if you see them!

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TEAM 4

Meg Huskin creates music of characteristic voice, embracing theatricality, genre-blending, and intertextuality. Recently, she premiered two operatic works: My Dearest Jane, with libretto curated from Jane Austen texts, and Rabbit Season, an original story about sisterhood. Meg co-founded TellTale Opera Theatre, a nonprofit dedicated to development of opera in Baltimore.

Jialiang Li began piano at age four, instructed by Mr. He Han and Nikolai Kryranov. He studied at Xinghai Conservatory and the Liszt Conservatory in Germany. After obtaining his graduate degree, he attended the Peabody Institute. Currently, he is a first-year DMA student at the University of Arizona.

Elisheva Pront is a vocalist and stage director who collaborates with composers to perform and direct new music. Co-founder of TellTale Opera Theatre in Baltimore, she focuses on expanding the bounds of opera. Elisheva was recently an Assistant Director at Opera North and finalist in the Colorado Bach Ensemble’s competition.

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TEAM 5

Elizabeth Gartman is a composer, soprano, and educator based in New York City. Her work explores performer physicality, vocalism, and autonomous process in performance. Elizabeth has recently composed for Washington National Opera, Beth Morrison Projects, New Chamber Ballet, Guerilla Opera, InfraSound Ensemble, Ensemble Chemie, the Why Collective, and Pax Duo.

Susan Bywaters is a poet, librettist, and writer based in New York City. Her recent works, including the operas An ending with Samuel Beebe and Daughter of God with Christopher Bell, center around morality, absurdity, and the victim/perpetrator paradigm, and have been performed across Europe and the US.

Laura Whittenberger performs theatre and concert works across the US. Off-Broadway: KHAN!!! The Musical! (Saavik). Regional: The Pirates of Penzance (Mabel), Sweeney Todd (Johanna), She Loves Me (Amalia). In concert: Messiah, Carmina Burana. Montpelier Arts competition winner. Recordings: Words that Sing in the Night. A “Must-see Musician” (Baltimore Style magazine).

Austin Philemon is an organist, pianist, conductor, and composer based in New York City. He has performed everywhere from Norway to North Carolina, been finalist in several international competitions, and premiered over 40 solo organ works. He currently serves as Director of Music at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.

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TEAM 6

Mezzo-soprano Katie Trigg hails from Ngāhinapōuri, Aotearoa New Zealand. She is a graduate of the University of Waikato, and is completing her MM at the Curtis Institute of Music studying under Julia Faulkner. Katie recently won the 2024 Lexus Song Quest. Outside of music, she enjoys baking, longboarding, and hiking.

Reese Revak is a classical voice coach and collaborative pianist in Philadelphia. Having studied music composition at Temple University, they have worked as a pianist and coach at Curtis Institute of Music since 2011. Revak has also worked with Opera Philadelphia and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute.

Composer Leigha Amick writes music to spark intellectual curiosity and express human experience.  Her compositions have been performed by ensembles including the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Ars Nova Singers, and Aspen Contemporary Ensemble.  Leigha received her Master of Music in composition from the Curtis Institute of Music.

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TEAM 7

Alexandria McNeely, a versatile soprano from Hickory, NC, excels in Opera, Art Song, Musical Theatre, and Jazz. Notable roles include Carly Speranza in Madame Buttermilk and Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. A Resident Artist with Opera Carolina, she holds a Master’s from Eastman and won the Metropolitan Opera’s NC District Encouragement Award.

Chun-Hsin (Cynthia) Liu, originally from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, is currently pursuing her DMA degree in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music at the Eastman School of Music. Liu has appeared in festivals and workshops such as Songfest (2022 SF and 24 LA), Source Song (2023 MN) and Song Studio (2022 Carnegie Hall).

Kristen Baum is a composer, poet and writer. She enjoys telling women’s stories through a female lens. She earned degrees in piano performance from Northern Michigan University and a M.M. in theory and composition from Youngstown State University. Her music has premiered in Hollywood, NYC, Nashville, Michigan, Baltimore and Berlin.

Sarah Ann Winn’s first full length collection, Alma Almanac won the Barrow Street Book Prize. She is also the author of five chapbooks, most recently Ever After the End Matter. She leads classes and retreats at Poet Camp, an online community that she founded, which turns 10 next year.

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‍TEAM 8

Laura Nevitt is a conductor, composer, & educator based in Boston. As a fierce advocate for new music, they love working with composers, and have conducted over 30 premieres of new works. She is also especially passionate about giving voice and space to gender marginalized musicians and poets through vocal music.

Baritone Juan Suarez, is an active performer in the Boston area, having sung with organizations such as MassOpera, Opera Del West, Boston Opera & Zarzuela, and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras. He frequently performs new music and world premieres with groups like Nightingale Vocal Ensemble, Carduus Choir and Odyssey Opera.

Most notably, he was recently selected to premiere a piece titled The Descent, in collaboration with poet Todd Hearon and Composer Jonathan Mitchell with Catalyst New Music in May 2024, performed at Longy School of Music’s  Pickman hall in Cambridge MA. Juan holds Music Degrees  from the New England Conservatory of Music and Stetson University.

Jacob LyteHaven holds a Bachelor of Music from Stetson University with concentrations in Piano Performance and Vocal Performance, and a Master of Music in Collaborative Piano from Boston University. He has studied under Michael Rickman, Sean Kennard, and Sheila Kibbe, and has participated in masterclasses under Martin Katz, Vyacheslav Gryaznov, Jorge Parodi, Francine Kay, Valerie Trujillo, and Ana Maria Otamendi. He has performed in concerts across the United States, Europe, and Central America. Jacob has worked as a collaborative pianist at Stetson University, and is currently an active collaborative pianist, teacher, and coach in the Greater Boston area.

‍TEAM 9

Jordan Rutter-Covatto (they/them) is a countertenor, actor, composer, and producer. As a performer, Rutter-Covatto is a highly sought-after collaborator in the field of new work. Rutter-Covatto is the artistic director and co-founder of counter codex, a performing arts collective serving the LGBTQIA+ and leather/kink communities.

Fred Sauter is a NYC-based musical theater lyricist/ librettist/ composer, a performer, a drag artist, designer and producer. With each project, Fred seeks to discover new ways to combine elements of modern song styles with theatre and storytelling to convey personal and universal truths.

Soprano Sydney Anderson has been praised for her “stunning vocal fireworks,” and is quickly gaining recognition as an accomplished stage performer and concert soloist. A contemporary music enthusiast, Sydney has participated in numerous World Premieres as well as workshops of new compositions at various stages of the creation process.

Mila Henry is a conductor, pianist and music director who maintains a versatile career, leading works spanning folk operas to rock musicals to reimagined classics. She is based in New York, and was nicknamed a “Jill of all trades” (Sullivan County Democrat) for her multi-instrumentalist work with The Opera Cowgirls.

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TEAM 10

Marcus DeLoach’s opera Mooch the Messy has been produced by the Boston Conservatory and Tulsa opera. His anthem, “The Lord is My Shepherd” is featured in Opera Philadelphia’s film "Organ Stops" and his songs have been sung by Keith Phares and Andrew Garland among others. He teaches voice at Temple University.

Pianist Grant Loehnig serves as Head of Music Staff at Opera Philadelphia and Master Opera Coach at Curtis Institute of Music. He has worked at Wolf Trap Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Aspen Opera Theater, and Festival Napa Valley. He has premiered pieces by David Hertzberg, Karim Al-Zand, and Tyshawn Sorey.

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TEAM 11

Justin Cheung is an acapella singer, beatboxer, arranger, operatic baritone, and composer. His song "Robin Hood" appears on the Cantonese jazz fusion album Gather. He has performed in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, and South Korea, and his choral arrangement "黑房" was recently commissioned by Hong Kong's LGBTQ+ choir, Moderati. An operatic baritone graduate of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, he is currently studying at Berklee College of Music. Insta:@jczstudiohk
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Olivia Lai is a Cantonese lyrics enthusiast and a bedroom songwriter. She currently plays the keyboard for Hong Kong’s underground pop-rock band Sustain. She is grateful for the opportunity to share the tonal beauty of her mother tongue through her lyrics. She was a member of the executive committee at the Hong Kong University Students’ Union Choir.
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Leona Cheung is a Boston-based collaborative pianist who has performed at the Aspen Music Festival, Oxford Song, Leeds Lieder Festival, Toronto Summer Music Festival, Franz Schubert Institute, and SongFest. Recent highlights include a recital performance curated and narrated by Graham Johnson. She is the founder of @listentolieder on Instagram, a platform dedicated to promoting and deepening appreciation for Art Song.

Hana Yiu, a contralto from Hong Kong who is currently based in New York. This season, she sang the role of Mercedes in The LightHouse Opera’s Carmen. She also covered Mrs. Atkins in Teatro Grattacielo’s world premiere production of Beyond the Horizon by Nicolas Flagello, based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play by Eugene O’Neill. Insta:@sappy.diary

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TEAM 12

Claire Galloway, Soprano: An avid champion of art song, Scottish-American soprano Claire Galloway treats each piece as an opera in miniature. A featured artist with Baltimore Musicales, Nordic Song Festival, and Emmanuel Episcopal Church’s Tuesdays at Six series, her theatricality runs the gamut from “palpable pain” to “splendid, funny moments” (B.I.T.R.). 

Erik Franklin, Composer & Poet: Composer/clarinetist Erik Franklin brings a unique, fresh perspective to the genre of American art song. A former member of the United States Army Field Band, Franklin is a consummate  instrumentalist and performer. He infuses his award-winning compositions with lyrical depth and expressive melodies that captivate vocalists and audiences alike.

John Henderson, Pianist: John Henderson is an organist, collaborative pianist, and composer based in Washington, DC. While maintaining a busy performance schedule and private studio, John serves as organist and music director at Saint Bernadette Catholic Church in Silver Spring, MD and on the musical theatre faculty of The Catholic University of America.

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TEAM 13

Gelsey Bell is a singer, songwriter, and scholar - a composer-performer, teacher, and sound artist. She has been described by the New York Times as “one of New York’s most adventurous musicians” and the “future of experimental vocalism.” She performs regularly as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, culling from a wide range of techniques and styles to create her own performance works, to literally voice those of contemporary composers, and to explore improvisation.

As chamber musician, soloist, and collaborator, David Friend is dedicated to projects that explore new ideas about what music can be and the piano can do. A fearless performer, critics have described his playing as "astonishingly compelling" (Washington Post), and The New York Times calls him one "of the finest, busiest pianists active in New York's contemporary-classical scene."

Anthony Gatto's work is often informed by visual and literary arts. His cross-media works include the music and libretto for Wise Blood (Flannery O'Connor), produced by Walker Art Center. He studied with Ornette Coleman and at Yale (DMA 2001). His awards include a Fulbright (Berlin), NEA, NYFA, Meet the Composer, Bush, McKnight, and Jerome Foundations, Yaddo, Millay, Copland House, VCCA and Willapa Bay.

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TEAM 14

Described as a dignified and beautiful singer by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Paul Max Tipton performs to acclaim in repertoire from Bach and Bruhns to Barber and Bolcom. He recently debuted in Tokyo singing Beehhoven 9 with Masato Suzuki and can be heard on the BIS & Avie labels.
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Pianist, Molly Morkoski, had her Carnegie Hall debut in 2007.  She has performed in many other prestigious venues, and collaborated with many of today’s top artists.  Molly is a huge supporter of contemporary music and has worked with living composers John Adams, John Corigliano, Gabriela Lena Frank, and many more.‍

Deborah Mason has written opera, art songs, and chamber music, and enjoys setting obscure texts such as Alexander Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock.” Praised by the New York Times after The NYCO’s Opera Reading Program, it was produced at Roulette in Brooklyn in 2016 aided by several grants.

‍Robert Scotto was a professor of literature at CUNY until his retirement. His publications include studies of writers as diverse as Pater, Joyce, Heller and Pynchon. His biography of Moondog won several awards and is presently being made into a documentary. His collections of poems include Latin and Chinese translations.

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TEAM 15

A BMI and three-time NATS Competition finalist, composer/lyricist Patrick Michael Wickham is honored to return to SongSlam. Technical director, European American Musical Alliance; founding Executive Director, West Village Musical Theatre Festival; also a medically-trained Voice Physiologist, professional actor and vocalist (Broadway, operatic and concert credits).

Hilary Baboukis is a mezzo-soprano, conductor, orchestrator, teacher; denizen of Jersey City, NYC, and Cairo. Recent roles: Carmen (title role), Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Phoebe (Yeomen of the Guard); alto soloist in Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Handel's Messiah, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Mozart's Requiem, and the Saint-Saëns Christmas Oratorio. Choral mercenary across the tri-state area. hilarybaboukis.com for more!

Mark Wagner has worked extensively as pianist, music director, and arranger for various productions throughout New York City. Favorite theatre credits include Exit Music (ASCAP Award, Best New Musical) and Fauntleroy (David Merrick Arts Foundation). Mark was pianist and vocal/dance arranger for the Manhattan School of Music's Professional Musical Theatre Workshops and pianist/arranger for the Donnell Library New Composer Songbook series. Mark is Repertoire Coach at Wickham Vocal Studios and freelances on multiple projects, including coachings, recitals, and studio recordings and has served as Minister of Music at New Hope Lutheran Church since July 2015.