2025 NYC songSLAM Competition
The virtual component of the NYC songSLAM — a 50/50 fundraiser — was open from Friday, February 7th at 10 PM ET through Monday, February 17th at 5 PM ET.
Voters listened to the songs and voted for their favorites via Give Lively . The funds that each team raised during the virtual event will be split 50/50 with the respective team members and Sparks & Wiry Cries. We reinvest any funds we receive into future competitions, commissions, and new art song initiatives.
Team 1 • Corporate Life
Zachary Sloan, composer & poet
Victoria Popritkin, soprano
Neill Campbell, piano
Team 2 • Shift
Joshua Bornfield, composer
Michael Manganiello, baritone
Stephanie Baird, piano
Tom Haviv, poet
Team 3 • The First Bluebird
Braden Allison, composer & piano
Ann McDonald Weible, soprano
James Whitcomb Riley, poet
Team 4 • Laundry Day
Meg Huskin, composer & poet
Elisheva Pront, soprano
Jialiang Li, piano
Team 5 • Glass Delusion
Elizabeth Gartman, composer
Laura Whittenberger, soprano
Austin Philemon, piano
Susan Bywaters, poet
Team 6 • Sea Song
Leigha Amick, composer
Katie Trigg, mezzo soprano
Reese Revak, piano
Team 7 • Kitsune
Kristen Baum, composer
Alexandria McNeely, soprano
Chun-Hsin (Cynthia) Liu, piano
Sarah Ann Winn, poet
Team 8 • My Brick House
Laura Nevitt, composer
Juan Suarez, baritone & poet
Jacob LyteHaven, piano
Team 9 • The Banned-Book Tango
Jordan Rutter-Covatto, composer
Sydney Anderson, soprano
Mila Henry, piano
Fred Sauter, poet
Team 10 • Horror Movie
Marcus DeLoach, baritone & composer
Grant Loehnig, piano
Text by: H.D. (1886 –1961)
Team 11 • 遂光而飛* "Soaring into the light"
Justin (YukWing) Cheung, composer
Hana Yiu, contralto
Leona Cheung, piano
Olivia Lai, poet
Team 12 • Mother of Earth and Sky from Mothers of Ragnarök
Erik Franklin, composer & poet
Claire Galloway, soprano
John Henderson, piano
Team 13 • Changing is Existing
Anthony Gatto, composer
Gelsey Bell, voice
David Friend, piano
Gertrude Stein, poet
Team 14 • Poems of Catullus
Deborah Mason, composer
Paul Max Tipton, bass-baritone
Molly Morkoski, piano
Gaius Valerius Catullus, poet
Robert Scotto, poet & translator
2024 songSLAM Commission winner
World Premiere Performance
Songs of the Prince
by composer Jonathan Wyatt
World Premiere performance by
James Danner, tenor and poet, & Derrick Goff, piano
(Recording — Danny Zelibor, piano)
Jonathan Wyatt’s (composer) works often explore conceptualism and storytelling. He holds a Bachelor's in Music Composition from Shenandoah Conservatory and a Master’s in Music Composition from the Mannes School of Music. Jonathan has been a fellow at the Atlantic Music Festival, the Red Note New Music Festival, and the Lake George Composition Institute. Post-graduation, he worked as personal assistant to famed composer Philip Glass. Jonathan is now freelancing in New York City and documenting all composer-activities on his social media pages, which can be followed @ComposerJon.
Jonathan is the winner of the 2024 songSLAM Commission Prize.
