Arlington Songwriters Compete For $10K Prize In DC Area Contest

ARLINGTON, VA — Three musicians from Arlington will be performing original songs in Bethesda, Maryland, next month as part of a songwriting contest for musicians in the Washington, D.C, area.

The Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards Concert celebrate musicians from the D.C. area. The awards, produced by the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, will feature a live concert performed by the competition finalists on Friday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. at Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club on Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda.

Arlington residents Calista Garcia and the duo of Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith will perform their original songs at the April 1 concert, with the winner receiving a $10,000 grand prize and 25 hours of complimentary recording studio time at Innovation Station Music in Annandale.

Garcia, a folk-rock singer-songwriter, plays guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and harmonica. She appeared on Season 16 of NBC’s "The Voice." Garcia won the 2022 Songwriter’s Association of Washington Young Artist of the Year and was a finalist for the D.C. Area Wammies in three categories.

Conner and Smith met in 1998 while studying at Shenandoah University in Winchester. They have been writing musical theater together since 2010. Recent works include Silver Belles (2016), Crossing (2013), The Hollow (2011), Partial Eclipse (2009), and Nevermore (2006).

The married couple also has written more than a dozen children’s musicals. Their awards include the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical in 2020 and a Helen Hayes Award Nomination for Outstanding Direction of a Musical in 2016.

The other songwriters in the grand prize category are James Fernando from Baltimore, Juliet Lloyd from Takoma Park, Maryland, and Mike P. Ryan from Clifton.

The awards are named after the late Fred Ebb, an American songwriter known for Broadway hits such as “Cabaret” and “Chicago” and for iconic songs, including “New York, New York.” Ebb is the uncle of Cathy Bernard, the founder of the competition and a Bethesda resident.

Bernard created the program to champion musicians and highlight the local music scene. “After an unfortunate hiatus due to the pandemic, we are thrilled to bring back the Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards and are looking forward to a night of live music that celebrates the art of songwriting,” she said in a statement Monday.

The 2022 Grand Prize jurors are musician, songwriter and producer Rodney Alejandro, veteran musician and teacher Ellen Britton, and award-winning lyricist Eric Price.

Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club will feature a dinner menu. Audience members can arrive at the supper club beginning at 5:30 p.m. on April 1 to enjoy dinner at the theater before the 7:30 p.m. concert.

Visit the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District website for ticket information.