Sam Vitale and Aaron Caruso met while attending the University of Michigan School of Music. They became lifelong friends and went on to form the acclaimed singing group The Sicilian Tenors, along with another friend, Elio Scaccio. Sam and Aaron have always had a passion for their alma mater as well as for mentoring young talent and a desire to “give back”. 

Add their love of Neapolitan music to the mix, and the 1^st Annual Sam Vitale and Aaron Caruso Neapolitan Song Vocal Competition was born. Aaron explained that they were motivated by a strong desire to showcase the underappreciated artistic merit of Neapolitan songs. Sam and Aaron approached Dr. Scott Piper with their idea of sponsoring this competition, and he embraced the initiative. It was held at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance on Sunday, April 2. 

Dr. Piper is the Chair of the Department of Voice Music at U of M and was was a classmate of Aaron and Sam at U of M. A sought after vocal clinician, Dr. Piper is dedicated to helping the next generation of vocal artists reach their goals. A world-renowned tenor, Dr. Piper continues to maintain an active performance profile. As a graduate student at U of M, Dr. Piper was coached by George Shirley and Shirley Verrett. He started his professional career with the Michigan Opera Theatre.

There were twelve contestants in the competition, with Aaron and Sam serving as judges. The winner in the undergraduate category was William Fishwick, and the post-graduate winner was Antona Yost.

In total, $4,500 in category winnings and encouragement awards were granted to the contestants. Congratulations to everyone involved in this inaugural event, which will become an annual occurrence.