Mission Opera, Joshua R. Wentz, artistic director, is the winner of The American Prize in Opera Performance, 2024 in the professional division for its production of “Susannah.” The ensemble was selected from applications reviewed from throughout the United States.

The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation’s most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts. The American Prize is unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, directors, ensembles and composers in the United States at professional, college/university, community and high school levels, based on submitted recordings.

Now in its 14th year, The American Prize was founded in 2010 and is awarded annually in many areas of the performing arts. Thousands of artists from all fifty states have derived benefit from their participation in the contests of The American Prize, representing literally hundreds of communities and arts organizations across the nation.

For more information about The American Prize visit http://theamericanprize.org.

The official announcment of The American Prize read:

Mission Opera specializes in American opera and musical theater producing high-quality, accessible productions to the Santa Clarita Valley and Greater Los Angeles metro area, providing jobs in the arts sector to members of the community at all levels of production, fostering educational outreach opportunities for schools and students, and granting participants and audiences a knowledge, enjoyment, and deeper appreciation of music and performing arts.

Wentz has had the privilege of performing throughout the United States and abroad and is in high demand as a singer, director and conductor of opera, oratorio and musical theater worldwide. He holds a DMA from the University of South Carolina.

As a musicologist, Wentz’s published research on American Opera, particularly Carlisle Floyd, has become a leading source on Floyd’s works of the 1960s.

Wentz currently oversees Vocal/Choral activities at Los Angeles Mission College and also serves on the voice faculty at California State University, Northridge and manages his own private voice studio. He is often featured in choral festivals, voice competitions and conferences around the world.

Wentz is the Artistic and Executive Director of Mission Opera in the Santa Clarita Valley and Director of Music at Santa Clarita United Methodist Church. He is also a two-time quarterfinalist for the Grammy Educator of the Year Award.

Link to official announcement: http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2024/11/national-winners-opera-companies-2024.html?view=flipcard