Forty of the nation’s most talented high school vocalists have been selected to participate in the 2026 Songbook Academy®, a weeklong summer intensive that immerses young performers in the gold standard of storytelling through song and helps them develop as artists under the guidance of Broadway stars, entertainment professionals and leading arts educators.
Now in its 17th year, the Songbook Academy is the flagship education program of the Great American Songbook Foundation. The 2026 Songbook Academy will take place July 11 to 18 at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. The program includes workshops, masterclasses, and performance opportunities that help participants hone their vocal and stage skills, particularly in song interpretation, while building friendships and professional connections that last a lifetime.
Songbook Academy Week features three public performance events at the Center’s world-class concert hall, the Payne & Mencias Palladium, for both in-person audiences and livestream viewers worldwide. These events offer opportunities to witness the rising stars of tomorrow alongside today’s top performers.
On July 13, Songbook Foundation founder and five-time GRAMMY nominee Michael Feinstein and a soon-to-be-announced celebrity guest mentor will offer real-time feedback to 10 randomly selected participants during the Public Masterclass. Then, on July 16, the Songbook Showcase will feature all 40 students in solo performances, along with special appearances by Feinstein and Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez. The week culminates Saturday, July 18, in the Songbook Academy in Concert, with all 40 singers coming together for a dynamic program of ensemble numbers and featured solos celebrating the breadth, diversity and timeless appeal of the Great American Songbook.
Tickets for all three public performances will go on sale May 18 at TheSongbook.org.
Indiana participants
- Jacob Cintron, Westfield, Westfield High School
- Sadie Cohen*, Carmel, Carmel High School
- Aarthi Eswaran*, Carmel, Carmel High School
- Grady Griffin*, Carmel, Carmel High School
- Aubreyana Eileen Hoeppner, Kokomo, Western High School
- Ian Jones, Carmel, Carmel High School
- Claire Kashman, Indianapolis, Park Tudor School
- Clara Keiper, Zionsville, Zionsville Community High School
- Annabelle Kim, Carmel, Carmel High School
- Soren McLaughlin*, Noblesville, Noblesville High School
- Krishaa Motycka*, Carmel, Carmel High School
- Mia Rettig*, Indianapolis, Park Tudor School
- Claire Noelle Scrogham, Greenwood, Silver Hill Academy
- Hannah Sevening, Carmel, Carmel High School
- Olivia Steele, Kokomo, Northwestern High School
* Indicates alumni of the Songbook Academy
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The Songbook Academy receives generous support from the Efroymson Family Fund, Traditions Senior Communities, the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, the Ira & Leonore S. Gershwin Trusts, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Westfield Veterinary Care, and the City of Carmel.
Guest Mentor support is provided by generous contributions from individual donors, including Libby and Randy Brown, Michael and Margie Draper, Peggy Ford, The Fuller Family, David Gerstein, Tim and Karyl McGeath, Bob and Rose Popovich and The Tobin Family.