ABOUT THE COMPETITION

In 2010, Founder James Toland conceived of the idea of a Bay Area voice competition to support emerging singers in their efforts to achieve professional success. The idea met with considerable enthusiasm, including that of then Oakland Symphony Music Director and Conductor Michael Morgan, who agreed to grant the first-place competition winner the opportunity to perform with the Oakland East Bay Symphony. Operations began the following year and JTVA’s initial fundraising goal of $20,000 for first-year competition prize money was met by 2012.

The organization incorporated in the State of California in 2012 and was granted federal 501(c)3 tax-exempt status the following year. The inaugural JTVA Vocal Competition was held on June 21, 2014, at Holy Names College in Oakland, with seven finalists competing in each tier, selected from a total of more than 125 applicants from around the country.

The competition has continued to grow, building positive awareness among singers, and the number of applicants has risen and expanded internationally. In 2015, the Bonnie Bell Encouragement Awards were added, providing a monetary award for each finalist who did not finish in the top three to support their ongoing efforts. General Director Awards have also occasionally been granted to encourage a notable applicant who did not advance to the next round. In 2021, JTVA inaugurated the Elizabeth Greenfield Award for an outstanding Black singer in the early stages of their career. The organization continues to look ahead, developing plans to continue to grow the competition, as well as offer other events and opportunities for singers.