40 High School Singers Chosen for 2026 Songbook Academy in Indiana

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The weeklong intensive at Allied Solutions Center will feature masterclasses with Michael Feinstein and Broadway stars

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Forty of the nation's most talented high school vocalists have been selected to participate in the 2026 Songbook Academy, a weeklong summer intensive that immerses young performers in the gold standard of storytelling through song and helps them develop as artists under the guidance of Broadway stars, entertainment professionals and leading arts educators.

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Now in its 17th year, the Songbook Academy is the flagship education program of the Great American Songbook Foundation. The 2026 Songbook Academy will take place July 11-18 at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana. The program includes workshops, masterclasses, and performance opportunities that help participants hone their vocal and stage skills, particularly in song interpretation, while building friendships and professional connections that last a lifetime.

Songbook Academy Week features three public performance events at the Center's world-class concert hall, the Payne & Mencias Palladium, for both in-person audiences and livestream viewers worldwide. These events offer opportunities to witness the rising stars of tomorrow alongside today's top performers.

On July 13, Songbook Foundation founder and five-time GRAMMY nominee Michael Feinstein and a soon-to-be-announced celebrity guest mentor will offer real-time feedback to 10 randomly selected participants during the Public Masterclass. Then, on July 16, the Songbook Showcase will feature all 40 students in solo performances, along with special appearances by Feinstein and Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez . The week culminates Saturday, July 18, in the Songbook Academy in Concert, with all 40 singers coming together for a dynamic program of ensemble numbers and featured solos celebrating the breadth, diversity and timeless appeal of the Great American Songbook.

Tickets for all three public performances will go on sale May 18.

Following the judging process, every applicant to this year's Songbook Academy received personalized written feedback from a national screening panel. The 2026 Songbook Academy National Screening Panel featured an incredible lineup of Broadway performers, jazz vocalists, music directors and acclaimed educators, including:

After reviewing a remarkably talented group of applicants, the panel selected 40 students from 29 cities and 13 states to participate in the 2026 program.

* Indicates alumni of the Songbook Academy

These young vocalists will join the larger Songbook Academy community, which includes alumni who have released music and performed from Broadway to concert hall stages around the world. They include Reed Gnepper (2018) and Jason Mulay (2021), currently touring with Wicked and Mamma Mia!, respectively; Emily Fink (2012), who debuted on Broadway last season in Dead Outlaw; Matthew Fedorek (2017), on tour with A Beautiful Noise following his tour with Funny Girl; and Jack Ducat (2019), who made his national tour debut as Buddy on the 2025 national tour of Elf this past holiday season.

In music, April Varner (2015) was named 2025 Rising Star Female Vocalist in the 73rd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll, while Anaïs Reno (2018) won a 2026 Bistro Award. Ava Nicole Frances (2020 & 2022) and Ethan Mathias (2024-2026) were honored with 2026 MAC Awards. Singer-songwriters Taylor Bickett (2017), Eleri Ward (2012) and Ryan Peter Murphy (2018) continue to release new music and build national followings.

The Songbook Academy receives generous support from the Efroymson Family Fund, Traditions Senior Communities, the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, the Ira & Leonore S. Gershwin Trusts, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Westfield Veterinary Care and the City of Carmel.

Guest Mentor support is provided by generous contributions from individual donors, including Libby and Randy Brown , Michael and Margie Draper, Peggy Ford, The Fuller Family, David Gerstein, Tim and Karyl McGeath, Bob and Rose Popovich and The Tobin Family.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/indianapolis/article/40-High-School-Singers-Selected-for-2026-Songbook-Academy-20260505)._