Lawrence University musicians Ka Man (Melody) Ng and Amanda Gessler captured the first- and second-place honors, respectively, at the recent Wisconsin Music Teachers Association Badger Collegiate Piano Competition held May 7 at Lawrence. Both are students in the piano studio of Associate Professor of Music Anthony Padilla.
Ng, a sophomore from Hong Kong, earned $200 for her winning performance, which included works by Bach, Schubert and Liszt. It was the second state title in two years for Ng, who also captured top honors in last year’s Neale-Silva Young Artists Competition sponsored by Wisconsin Public Radio. Gessler, a sophomore from Harshaw, Wis., performed works by Haydn, Bartok and Liszt.
Participants in the competition, which is open to students attending any college or university in Wisconsin, are required to play a 30-minute recital.