Lawrence University saxophonist Jesse Dochnahl earned a trip to the national finals of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Young Artist competition with a winning performance Saturday, Jan. 15 in the collegiate woodwind division of the five-state East Central regional competition.
A senior music education and performance major from Ennis, Mont., Dochnahl was one of five state champions competing in the regional audition held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He qualified for the regional competition after winning the state title last November.
Dochnahl, 21, who studies in the saxophone studio of professor of music Steven Jordheim, will join six other regional winners in Seattle, Wash., on April 4 for the national competition, where music division winners receive a $3,000 first-place prize and second-place finishers are awarded $1,500.
“Jesse’s success in the MTNA competition is an important achievement, both for Jesse and for Lawrence,” said Jordheim. “The East Central Region includes many strong university and conservatory programs in music performance and since students from graduate and artist diploma programs participate in this competition, the level of performance is very high. Jesse’s strong showing in the competition is an affirmation of his fine talent and dedication to developing his skills to the highest level.”
The MTNA Young Artist competition is open to students 19-26 years of age. Participants in both the regional and national competition are required to play 40 minutes of music featuring contrasting pieces from two different time periods.
Playing alto saxophone, Dochnahl performed four works : Karlheinz Stockhausen’s “In Friendship”; “Flute Sonata in A minor” by C.P.E. Bach; “Scaramouche” by Darius Milhaud; and “The Nature of this Whirling Wheel,” a 1997 composition by former Lawrence music professor Rodney Rogers.
