08/30/2026
A milestone worth celebrating: the 10th edition of the Linus Lerner International Vocal Competition is now underway in Mexico.
What began ten years ago as Maestro Linus Lerner’s vision to create meaningful opportunities for talented young singers has grown into an international program connecting artists across countries and cultures. Over the past decade, the competition has awarded more than $150,000 in cash prizes, while also creating professional performance opportunities that have helped emerging singers take important steps in their careers.
For SASO, this anniversary carries special meaning. Our members, supporters, and donors have been an essential part of making these opportunities possible. Their generosity has helped provide prizes, performances, and professional connections for young artists around the world—extending SASO’s impact far beyond our own concert stages in Southern Arizona.
We are deeply grateful to everyone in the SASO community whose generosity has helped sustain this work for a decade. Your support reaches far beyond Southern Arizona, helping young artists around the world find stages, audiences, and opportunities to be heard.
At its heart, the competition reflects something we believe deeply at SASO: great music is not only about the performances we present today, but also about helping create opportunities for the artists who will shape its future.
We are incredibly proud of Maestro Lerner, grateful to everyone in the SASO community who has supported this work, and excited to meet the singers taking part in this historic 10th edition.
Here’s to the artists who have already found their voices through this competition, and to those whose journeys are just beginning.
