Fourteen high school and college students competed for cash prizes and invitations to perform on the Choral Society of Pensacola’s March concert in Young Voices 2020. The competition took place on Saturday, Feb. 8,  in the Ashmore Auditorium of Pensacola State College.
Competitors performed two selections in contrasting styles and competed in one of the following divisions: High School Level 1 (freshman or sophomore), High School Level 2 (junior or senior), College Level 1 (freshman or sophomore), and College Level 2 (junior or senior).
Winners and runners-up:
High School Level 1: Winner: Madeline Ruffin (Gulf Breeze High School); runner-up: Judah Bowers (Gulf Breeze High School)
High School Level 2: Winner: Ella Griffith (Pensacola High School); runner-up: Anna Miley (Booker T. Washington High School)
College Level 1: Katelyn Karcher (University of Mobile); runner-up: Elizabeth Ellis (Pensacola State College)
College Level 2: Joseph O’Shea (University of South Alabama): runner-up: Jacob Mohr (University of Mobile)
Judges were Mary Katherine Kilgore, artistic director of the Eastern Shore Choral Society, Fairhope and choral teacher at St. Michael Catholic School also in Fairhope; Cody Martin, director of education and director of the artists in residence program at Pensacola Opera; and Keith Wolfe, general director of Opera Birmingham.
Young Voices 2020 received support from Pensacola State College and Wells Fargo.