The finals in the 2010 Telluride Troubadour Competition take place this week. Ten singer-songwriters will vie for a custom Shanti guitar, cash prizes, recognition, and the opportunity to perform on the main stage during the 37th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival that takes place in Colorado, June 17-20.

The finalists — recognized on the basis of the quality of their songs’ composition, vocal delivery and the overall performance — are Mai Bloomfield (Venice, CA), Blair Bodine (Philadelphia, PA), Caleb Hawley (New York, NY), Robby Hecht (Nashville, TN), Cahalen Morrison (Seattle, WA), Carleigh Nesbit (Charlottesville, VA), Chris O’Brien (Somerville, MA), Talia Segal (Washington, DC), Nora Jane Struthers (Nashville, TN), and Margo Valiante (Austin, Texas). John Elliott (Los Angeles, CA), and Louise Mosrie (Nashville, TN) were named as first and second alternates, respectively, from among the hundreds of entries received.

Each of the finalists will perform two original songs during a preliminary round on Telluride’s Elks Park Stage on Thursday, June 17, beginning at noon. Then the top five finalists will each perform two different original songs during a final round the following afternoon. The Troubadour winner performs a 15-minute set on the festival’s main stage on Saturday evening, June 19 – sandwiched in between performances by Yonder Mountain String Band and Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Edgar Meyer.

Other artists slated to perform during this year’s Telluride Bluegrass Festival include Alison Kraus & Union Station, Brandi Carlile, Court Yard Hounds (featuring Emily Robison and Martie Maguire of the Dixie Chicks), Dave Rawlings Machine (featuring Gillian Welch), Sam Bush Band, Tim O’Brien Band, Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan & Crucial Country, Del McCoury, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Mumford and Sons, Sarah Jarosz, Josh Ritter, Cadillac Sky, Hot Rize, Leftover Salmon, Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile, Ben Sollee, 18 South, The Hillbenders, Imelda May, Keller & The Keels, The Drepung Monks, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, and the Swedish folk band Vasen. The roots-oriented music festival takes place amid Colorado’s rugged San Juan Mountains and coincides with the Summer Solstice.

Previous winners of the Telluride Troubadour Competition, which has been held in conjunction with the festival since 1991, include Larry Good (1991), Cosy Sheridan (1992), Dan Sheridan (1993), Catie Curtis (1994), LJ Booth (1995), Michael Lille (1996), Jonathan Kingham (1997), Eugene Ruffolo (1998), Libby Kirkpatrick (1999), Mary Coppin (2000), Kris Delmhorst (2001), Deb Talan (2002), Rachel Davis (2003), Brian Joseph (2004), Keith Greeninger (2005), Nels Andrews (2006), Gregory Alan Isakov (2007), Nathan Moore (2008), and Mitch Barrett (2009).

More information on the festival and the Telluride Troubadour Competition can be found at www.bluegrass.com/telluride.