LANSING, Mich. — For more than a century, Lansing Matinee Musicale has nurtured a love of music by offering lessons, performances, scholarships, and community programs. Their mission is simple—support musicians of all ages and keep the arts thriving.
That mission came to life again this year with their Emerging Artist Award Competition. Sarah Juliano is this year’s winner of the $2,000 prize.
"Lansing Matinee Musicale is a good neighbor because it’s giving opportunity to people like myself who may not have been auditioning as much, working on getting their confidence back up, and recognizing people who have potential and giving them more resources—the chance to build confidence again, be recognized for potential, and gain more resources, which is not easy to come by,” says Sarah.
Sarah traveled from Long Island New York to enter the final competition. Trained in opera and musical theatre, she wowed the judges. And when her name was called as the winner, Sarah said all her hard work finally paid off.
Rachel Dec, a young professional who grew up locally, placed second. Her dream? Broadway.
Rachel says, “Lansing Musicale is a good neighbor because they’re expanding access and opportunity into the professional world of musical theatre by offering this scholarship as well as providing opportunities for myself and the other finalists."
Sydney Roslin placed third but says being part of the competition was a win in itself.
“I’m really honored to be here. A lot of the artists here have Michigan connections too, that’s really bringing artists back to Michigan to enrich the community here with music and art and also bringing classical music and musical theatre into the community. I mean we are here in this beautiful church and It’s free to the public. It’s really wonderful to have programs like this that are encouraging people to listen to this music, hear this music, learn this music and get involved in their local arts scene.”
While the competition shines a spotlight on performers, Lansing Matinee Musicale’s heart is bigger than the awards.
“We’re here to support the arts and encourage young artists," says Lansing Matinee Musicale's President, Laura Stebbins. "It was founded in 1894 so we’ve been around for 131 years one of the oldest arts organizations in the Lansing area.”
For more than a century, they’ve been making dreams possible. And that’s why this week’s Good Neighbor is Lansing Matinee Musicale. Learn more at lansingmatineemusicale.org.
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