Vocalist Emanuel Singletary of Hackensack
Awarded 2021 Levy Memorial Scholarship
Emanuel Singletary
Emanuel Singletary, a tenor vocalist from Hackensack, New Jersey, has been named as the 2021 winner of the Harriet & Edward Levy Memorial Scholarship Award, administered by Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus (Orpheus).
Mr. Singletary’s memberships in school music organizations include:
He has been honored with these awards:
The Levy Scholarship is an award of $1,000 toward the winner’s college studies, honoring the parents of Orpheus’ pianist, Ron Levy. Mr. Singletary is graduating from Hackensack High School (HHS) in June 2021. He will attend Shenandoah University to pursue a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance.
Mr. Singletary has studied music since fourth grade. He decided to pursue a musical career after acting in the casts of the musicals “Cabaret” and “Hello, Dolly!” at HHS. He has also appeared in several other high school plays, namely "The Christmas Caper," "The Producers," and "Jekyll & Hyde (the musical)."
After a “Dolly” rehearsal, his choral teacher Julie E. Platte suggested that Mr. Singletary consider a career as a singer of classical music.
“After our meeting, I did some listening by myself and the more I immersed myself with such singers like Mario Del Monaco, and Franco Corelli, and my favorite, Édith Piaf, did I feel the urge and desire to be able to do what they do. I found myself wanting to learn how to understand music and convey its intricacies and nuances so that I could make people feel like how the aforementioned singers made me feel. I wanted to become an opera singer as my career, but in the long run I wanted to be a performer that could change the world and influence it with my voice. I want to be able to express emotion through the art of music.”
Mr. Singletary’s memberships in school music organizations include:
- Men’s Chorus – 10th and 11th grades.
- Drama Club – 9th through 12th grades.
- Tri-M Music Honor Society – 11th and 12th grades.
He has been honored with these awards:
- Maywood Women’s Club, Excellence in Drama Award.
- Ridgewood Choral, 2021 Marjorie Vandervoort Vocal Award.
The Levy Scholarship is an award of $1,000 toward the winner’s college studies, honoring the parents of Orpheus’ pianist, Ron Levy. Mr. Singletary is graduating from Hackensack High School (HHS) in June 2021. He will attend Shenandoah University to pursue a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance.
Mr. Singletary has studied music since fourth grade. He decided to pursue a musical career after acting in the casts of the musicals “Cabaret” and “Hello, Dolly!” at HHS. He has also appeared in several other high school plays, namely "The Christmas Caper," "The Producers," and "Jekyll & Hyde (the musical)."
After a “Dolly” rehearsal, his choral teacher Julie E. Platte suggested that Mr. Singletary consider a career as a singer of classical music.
“After our meeting, I did some listening by myself and the more I immersed myself with such singers like Mario Del Monaco, and Franco Corelli, and my favorite, Édith Piaf, did I feel the urge and desire to be able to do what they do. I found myself wanting to learn how to understand music and convey its intricacies and nuances so that I could make people feel like how the aforementioned singers made me feel. I wanted to become an opera singer as my career, but in the long run I wanted to be a performer that could change the world and influence it with my voice. I want to be able to express emotion through the art of music.”
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In recommending Mr. Singletary to Orpheus for a scholarship, she wrote: “During Emanuel’s sophomore year, I began to suspect that his voice was more suited to classical singing than to Broadway,” wrote Ms. Platte, HHS’ Director of Vocal Music. “I began sending him videos of classical tenors. That began a journey of learning about operatic tenors and classical singing that has led to his desire to pursue voice performance in college, with the ultimate goal of becoming an opera singer. Of Emanuel’s many fine traits, the three I find most noteworthy are his vocal talent, his acting ability, and his inquisitiveness about classical singing.
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“As a teacher primarily of high-school aged students, it is rare for me to hear someone, especially a male, with Emanuel’s vocal talent.
“The timbre, resonance and size of Emanuel’s voice clearly indicates something different, and it stands apart from his peers. The very high range of Emanuel’s voice is also suited to classical singing,” Ms. Platte wrote. “When we were working on ‘Go Lovely Rose’ several weeks ago, he was able to sing the climax’s high sustained note with a thrilling, fully supported, energized sound, and then a few notes later, he created a spinning, precious tone at pianissimo. … That particular moment was a glorious hint of what his voice is able to do.”
John J. Palatucci, Music Director of Orpheus, commented: "Any time the Orpheus Club Men's Chorus can encourage a young male singer, we are eager to do it. Emanuel's desire to explore the art of song while developing his own singing led us to award him the Levy Scholarship."
“The timbre, resonance and size of Emanuel’s voice clearly indicates something different, and it stands apart from his peers. The very high range of Emanuel’s voice is also suited to classical singing,” Ms. Platte wrote. “When we were working on ‘Go Lovely Rose’ several weeks ago, he was able to sing the climax’s high sustained note with a thrilling, fully supported, energized sound, and then a few notes later, he created a spinning, precious tone at pianissimo. … That particular moment was a glorious hint of what his voice is able to do.”
John J. Palatucci, Music Director of Orpheus, commented: "Any time the Orpheus Club Men's Chorus can encourage a young male singer, we are eager to do it. Emanuel's desire to explore the art of song while developing his own singing led us to award him the Levy Scholarship."