OUR STORY

At Hawk Vocal Awards, we believe in making dreams come true. Since 1980 the Hawk Family has awarded close to $250,000 to deserving singers in pursuit of an operatic career. The goal of the Hawk Vocal Awards is to further the talents of residents of the San Diego and Imperial Counties of California who wish to pursue a professional career in the opera, oratorio, and art song world of classical vocal music.

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Winners of our awards have gone on to appear on stages around the world including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House - London, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Théâtre du Châtelet - Paris, Washington National Opera, Liceu Opera House - Barcelona, Santa Fe Opera, Opera de Bellas Artes - Mexico City, Houston Grand Opera and with major symphonies including New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, to name a few.

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Formerly known as The Virginia F. and Susan G. Hawk Operatic Vocal Competition, the scholarship was established by Virginia Fletcher Hawk in loving memory of her daughter, Susan Grace Hawk. Both were lovers of classical music, and specifically opera.

 

Inspired by the vision of her father, pioneering San Diego developer Col. Edward Fletcher, Mrs. Hawk became a driving force in the 1970s spearheading the creation of the East County Performing Arts Center in El Cajon and becoming a generous supporter of the San Diego Opera. Virginia Hawk firmly believed that no community would be complete without the cultural exposure to the arts.

Today, the Hawk Family, represented by her son, Dr. Thomas F. Hawk, faithfully continues to administer his mother’s bequest.