23rd annual Arizona Young Artists’ Competition

The Herberger Theater invites young performers to enter the 23rd annual Arizona Young Artists’ Competition!

Through the Arizona Young Artists Competition, performers ages 15-20 are given the opportunity to compete in the disciplines of Modern/Contemporary Dance, Classical Voice, Musical Theatre Voice, and Acting. The competition enables young Arizona artists to experience the audition process and garner productive feedback and pertinent experience through an adjudication process led by highly esteemed arts professionals.

After initial auditions are completed, four finalists will be chosen from each discipline to compete at the finals on February 25, 2023. These artists will be given the chance to astonish the panel of respected judges once more and vie for an opportunity to bring home a $1500 scholarship awarded to the winner of each discipline. The audience will also vote for their favorite performer in all four categories to win the People’s Choice Award and take home a $100 prize. A monetary scholarship will also be awarded to one finalist in each category from the Arizona Chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters.

Registration is now open, with the respective discipline auditions taking place February 20-23, 2023. Online registration is required prior to auditioning. This year, the $25.00 audition registration fee has been waived for applicants experiencing financial difficulties.

The competition was created as a dance showcase by the late Frances Smith Cohen and the late Arlyn Brewster in the 1990s, but soon blossomed into a wide-reaching performing arts competition that attracted young talent from across the state of Arizona. The competition has awarded more than 70 scholarships to talented young performers from throughout Arizona.

“We are excited about this year’s Arizona Young Artists’ Competition. This amazing competition will feature immensely talented young people from throughout Arizona in the categories of dance, classical voice, musical theatre voice, and acting,” said Cescily Washington-Wiener, Director of Community Engagement. “The unique competition highlights the diverse talents of all competitors by providing them with an opportunity to audition, and to highlight their creative performances in front of an audience of judges and audience members who will select the winners and award them with monetary scholarships.”

For more information on the Arizona Young Artists’’Competition or to register, visit the Herberger Theater’s website: https://www.herbergertheater.org/ayac/

About the Herberger Theater Center

The Herberger Theater Center is Arizona’s center stage, engaging the community through diverse arts experiences that ignite emotion, stimulate conversation, and inspire connections with the arts. Built in 1989 to foster the growth of performing arts and revitalize downtown Phoenix, the Herberger Theater has celebrated the diverse, multicultural heritage of the Phoenix community with accessible performing arts experiences year after year. It is proud to be home to four resident performing arts companies: Arizona Theatre Company, iTheatre Collaborative, Arizona Opera, and Childsplay Theatre. The Herberger Theater also sustains several arts education and outreach programs that provide children with a chance to experience the beauty and magic of live theater. Learn more at HerbergerTheater.org.