Lawrence University students claimed five first-place finishes at the annual Wisconsin chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition held Nov. 6-7 at UW-Eau Claire.
Alexander Quackenbush, Sun Prairie, and Clover Austin-Mueleck, San Francisco, Calif., won the men’s and women’s first-year division, respectively.
Yonah Barany, Portland, Ore., and Annie Mercado, Des Plaines, Ill., took top honors in the second-year men’s and women’s division, respectively.
Ian Grimshaw, Nellysford, Va., earned first-place honors in the men’s third-year division, while Elisabeth Burmeister, Chicago, Ill., received second-place honors in the third-year women’s division. Burmeister finished second in the second-year women’s division in 2014.
Austin-Mueleck and Grimshaw are students in the voice studio of Ken Bozeman, Frank C. Shattuck Professor of Music. Quackenbush and Barany study with Associate Professor Karen Leigh-Post. Mercado is a student of voice teacher John Gates. Burmeister studies in the voice studio of Joanne Bozeman.
Twelve of Lawrence’s 19 entries advanced to the finals in the competition, which drew nearly 400 singers from around the state. First-place finishers receive $150, while second-place finishers received $125.
The NATS competition features 22 separate divisions grouped by gender and level. Depending upon the category, competitors are required to sing two, three or four classical pieces from different time periods with at least one selection sung in a foreign language.
Pictured (from left): Alex Quackenbush, Clover Austin-Mueleck, Yonah Barany, Annie Mercado and Ian Grimshaw.
About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College” and Fiske’s Guide to Colleges 2016. Engaged learning, the development of multiple interests and community outreach are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.
