On Thursday, September 17, the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) Division of Music, in collaboration with the SEARK Concert Association, National Federation of Music Club (NFMC) and Pine Bluff Musical Coterie, will host a concert featuring mezzo-soprano Claire McCahan, the 2026 NFMC Young Artist Winner, accompanied by pianist Mary Scott Smith. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. in the Harris Recital Hall in the Music Building at UAM and will last approximately one hour. The event is free and open to the public. 

Claire McCahan is regarded as a musician of sincerity and versatility, delivering compelling and honest performances across Baroque, recital, opera and contemporary repertoire. Winner of the 2022 Joy in Singing International Art Song Competition, the 2022 National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards, the 2025 NFMC Young Artist Competition and the 2025 Federation of the Art Song Fellowship, McCahan is an accomplished recitalist, devising programs revealing thematic connection across time and language. Along with collaborative pianist Barbara Noyes, she co-founded Horizon Duo, dedicated to creative programming of contemporary and classic repertoire. The duo made their New York recital debut at Weill Recital Hall in 2023. Praised for her interpretations of J.S. Bach, she is the winner of the 2025 American National Oratorio Competition, an alumna of the American Bach Soloists Academy and a featured soloist on the Boulder Bach Festival’s first commercial album.