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NATIONAL FINALISTS: The American Prize Thomas Putsché Award in Composition — opera/theater/film dance music (professional division), 2026
The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is described as “the nation’s most comprehensive series of online contests in the musical and theater arts".
An American Opera
Welcome to the home of Lily, an American opera by composer Garth Baxter and librettist Lisa VanAuken (Lisa Van Allen). Based loosely on the novel The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, it tells the story of the tragic descent of Lily Bart from high society in upstate New York in the early 20th Century. This is a traditional opera in the style of Puccini and Verdi; it is full of romanticism with lots of arias and with some grandeur. The score for orchestra is full of rich melodies.
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