music competition

Tag: music competition

Hitting the right note: Five students earn first-place honors at state singing competition

Five Lawrence University students earned first-place honors at the annual Wisconsin chapter of the National Association of Teachers and Singing (NATS) competition held Nov. 2-4 at UW-Stevens Point.

Nick Fahrenkrug
Nick Fahrenkrug

Nick Fahrenkrug, a sophomore from Davenport, Iowa, won his second straight NATS title, capturing the men’s second-year college classical division. In the finals, he sang “Crucifixion” by Samuel Barber, “Chanson a Boire” by Maurice Ravel and “Lieben, Hassen, Hoffen, Zagen” by Richard Strauss.

Emily Austin
Emily Austin

Emily Austin, a sophomore from Washington, D.C., won the women’s second-year college classical division. She performed “La Maja Dolorosa 1” by Enrique Granados, “Spring and Fall” by Ned Rorem and “Notre Amour” by Gabriel Faure in the finals.

Martha Hellerman
Martha Hellerman

Martha Hellermann, a senior from Shorewood, won the women’s fourth-year college classical division after singing “Frère voyez!…Du gai soleil” by Jules Massenet and “En Sourdine” by Gabriel Faurè in the finals.

Reever Julian
Reever Julian

Reever Julian, a freshman from Chicago, Ill., won the men’s first-year college classical division. He sang “In Diesen Heil’gen Hallen” by Mozart and “Tobacco” by Tobias Hume in the finals.

Sarah Scofield
Sarah Scofield

Sarah Schofield, a freshman from West Lafayette, Ind., won the women’s first-year college classical division. She performed “Winter” by Dominick Argento, “Il fervido desiderio” by Vincenzo Bellini and “L’Énamourée” by Reynaldo Hahn.

Fahrenkrug and Reever are students of John Gates. Schofield and Hellermann study in the voice studio of Joanne Bozeman. Austin is a student of Ken Bozeman. All five students received $150 for their winning performances.

Lawrence was represented in the NATS competition by 41 singers, 26 of whom reached the semifinals and 10 who reached the finals.

Freshman Marieke de Koker, Pretoria, South Africa, and sophomore Emily Richter, London, England, both earned second-place honors in their respective divisions while freshman Baron Lam., Galesburg, Ill., and junior Anna Mosoriak, Highland, Ind., earned a third-place recognition in their respective categories. Mosoriak also placed third in the women’s upper-level college musical theatre division.

Second-place finishers received $125 while third-place performers were awarded $100.

The NATS competition features 28 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.

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.” 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.

 

 

Lawrence students shine in state music competition

Three Lawrence University students captured first-place honors at the 2017 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Wisconsin state competition held Oct. 7 at Lawrence. The performance competition recognizes exceptionally talented young artists and their teachers in their pursuit of musical excellence.

Senior Nicholas Suminski, Williamsburg, Mich., earned first-place honors in young artist piano division. He performed Paul Schoenfield’s Boogie from “Peccadillos”; Schumann/Liszt’s “Widmung”; Beethoven’s “Sonata in C minor” opus 53″ and Piazzolla’s Tango #1 from “Tango Suite.”

Senior flutist Ned Martenis, West Newton, Mass., won the young artist woodwind competition. His winning program included CPE Bach’s “Sonata in A minor”; Griffes’ “Poem”; Kapustin’s “Sonata opus 125” and Robert Dick’s “Lookout.”

Freshman Robert Graziano, Kenmore, N.Y., won the senior division piano competition. His winning performance featured Chopin’s “Etude in C minor opus 10 #1”; Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody #5 in E minor”; Debussy’s “Hommage a Rameau” from Images book 1 and Ginastera’s “Danzas Argentinas.”

Nick Suminski
Nick Suminski ’18
Robert Graziano
Robert Graziano ’21
Ned Martenis
Ned Martenis ’18

The young artist division is for state musicians aged 19-26 while the senior division is open to musicians 15-18.

Sophomore violinist Abigail Keefe of Appleton and Third Form Trio – junior flautist Bianca Pratte, Walnut Creek, Calif., junior bassoonist Stuart Young, Arlington, Texas, and senior pianist Mayan Essak of Shorewood — were named “state representatives” as the only entrants in their divisions.

The three winners and the designated state representatives advance to the regional competition Jan. 7, 2018 at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana with regional winners competing in the MTNA national finals March 17-21, 2018, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Also at the competition, senior Anthony Cardella, Porterfield, and freshman Noah Vasquez, Zurich, Switzerland, earned second place and honorable mention honors, respectively, in the young artist piano division.

Suminski and Vasquez study in the piano studio of Cathy Kautsky. Graziano is a student of Anthony Padilla. Cardella is a student of Michael Mizrahi. Keefe studies with Wen-Lei Gu, while Martenis and the members of Third Form Trio are all students of Erin Lesser.

Appleton’s Abigail Peterson, a ninth-grade, piano student at the Lawrence Academy of Music, won the Wisconsin Music Teachers Association High School Virtuoso Competition held at the same time. A student in the piano studio of Catherine Walby, Peterson received $100 for her winning performance.

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.” 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.

 

 

Two Lawrence students earn first-place honors at state singing competition

A Head shot of Lawrence University student Nick Fahrenkrug.
Nick Fahrenkrug ’20

Lawrence University’s Nick Fahrenkrug and Froya Olson earned first-place honors at the annual Wisconsin chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition held Nov. 4-5 at UW-Milwaukee.

Fahrenkrug, a freshman from Davenport, Iowa, won the men’s first-year college classical division, while Olson, a senior from Dawson, Minn., won the women’s fourth/fifth-year classical division. They both received $150 for their winning performances.

In the finals, Fahrenkrug sang Gabriel Faure’s “Lydia” and Franz Schubert’s “Du bist du Ruh.” Olson performed “La statue de bronze” by Erik Satie and “Song to the Moon” from Antonin Dvořák’s opera “Rusalka.”

Fahrenkrug is a student of music professor John Gates while Olson studies in the voice studio of Karen Leigh-Post.

Five other Lawrence singers placed in the competition.

A Head shot of Lawrence University student Froya Olson.
Froya Olson ’17

Senior Lizzie Burmeister, junior Claire LaLiberte and sophomore Alex Quackenbush each earned second-place honors in their respective divisions. Freshman Victor Montanez Cruz in the freshman men’s classical division and Cristina Sada Segovia in the music theater division both earned third-place honors.

Lawrence was represented by 26 singers, 15 of which reached the semifinals and seven who reached the finals. The competition drew nearly 400 singers from around the state.

The NATS competition features 28 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.

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.”  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.

 

 

Lawrence student pianists finish 1-2 in Green Bay Civic Symphony concerto competition

A Head shot of Lawrence University student Derrick Hahn.
Derrick Hahn ’17

Lawrence University pianists Derrick Hahn and Evan Newman earned first- and second-place honors, respectively, Nov. 12 in the Civic Symphony of Green Bay’s Miroslav Pansky Memorial Concerto Competition.

Hahn, a senior from Milwaukee, is the fourth Lawrence student since 2009 to win the Pansky competition. He played the first movement of Béla Bartók’s “Second Concerto” for the competition and received $500 for his winning performance. He will reprise his performance with the Civic Symphony as guest artist on Feb. 18, 2017 in a concert at the Meyer Theater.

This was Hahn’s second competition triumph this fall. Last month he won the piano division of the 2016 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Wisconsin state competition.

Newman, a senior from Plymouth, Minn., received $250 for his second-place performance. He performed Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 1 for the competition. Newman earned honorable mention honors at the MTNA Wisconsin state competition.

Both are students in the piano studio of Associate Professor of Music Anthony Padilla.

Emmy Hauer, an Appleton home-schooled freshman who studies violin with Lawrence Associate Professor Samantha George through the Lawrence Academy of Music, placed second in the Pansky competition’s high school division.

The competition is open to voice, brass, woodwind and piano students from Northeast Wisconsin through the age of 21. It is named in honor of the late Miroslav Pansky, the long-time conductor of the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra and founder of its youth orchestras.

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.”  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.

Lawrence students win three divisions at state music competition

A photo of Music Teachers National Association seal.Lawrence University students captured three first-place honors at the recent 2016 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Wisconsin state competition conducted at UW-Stevens Point.

Senior Derrick Hahn of Milwaukee extended Lawrence’s remarkable streak in the piano division with his winning performance, becoming the 16th Lawrence piano student in the past 17 years to win the annual Wisconsin MTNA competition.

A Head shot of Lawrence University student Derrick Hahn.
Derrick Hahn

Lawrence students swept the piano division. Senior Ming Hu of Changsha, China was named first alternate while sophomore Nick Suminski of Williamsburg, Mich., sophomore Mayan Essak of Shorewood, senior Evan Newman of Plymouth, Minn., and freshman Gabrielle Claus of Lancaster, Pa., all earned honorable mention recognition.

Flutist Bianca Pratte, a sophomore from Walnut Creek, Calif., won the woodwind competition, marking the second year in a row a Lawrence flutist won the MTNA woodwind division.

Trio Arcia — junior Ethan Valentin of Chicago, piano, junior Meghan Murphy of Wauwatosa, violin, and junior Mikaela Marget of Stillwater, Minn., cello, was named winner of the chamber music division.

Each of the three winners will advance to the East Central regional competition Jan. 14-15, 2017 at Central Michigan University. Regional winners advance to the MTNA national finals in March 2017 in Baltimore, Md.

Hahn, who studies in the studio of Anthony Padilla, played Rodion Shchedrin’s “Basso Ostinato” and Brahms’ first published work, the massive “First Sonata in C major” for his winning performance.

A photo of Lawrence University student Bianca Pratte playing flute.
Bianca Pratte

Pratte, a student in Erin Lesser’s flute studio and the 2015 winner of the Wisconsin Flute Festival’s Collegiate competition and the National Flute Association Collegiate Flute Choir competition, played Frank Martin’s “Ballade for flute and piano,” Robert Muczynski’s “Three Preludes for Solo Flute” and Jules Mouquet’s “La Flute de Pan” in the finals.

Arcia Trio’s winning program consisted of the second movement of Dvorak’s “Dumky” and the first movement of Beethoven “Ghost.”

The MTNA performance competitions recognize exceptionally talented young artists and their teachers in their pursuit of musical excellence.

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.”  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.

Lawrence student musicians win national opera competition

Seven Lawrence University students wowed a judging panel of professionals with an eight-minute scene from Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro” to earn first-place honors in the recent Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition.

Opera-competition-winners_newsblog
Lawrence students were all smiles after winning the Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition. Showing off their first-place plaque are (front row, l. to r.) Katie Mueller, Kayla Siembieda and director of opera studies Copeland Woodruff. Back row (l. to r.): Mitchell Kasprzyk, Derrick Hahn (accompanist), Jackson Rosenberry, Josh Eidem and Paul Gutmann.

Held Jan. 7 at the Conrad Hotel in downtown Indianapolis, Ind., the competition was part of a national joint convention of the National Opera Association and the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

Six singers, all seniors — Josh Eidem, Paul Gutmann, Mitchell Kasprzyk, Katie Mueller, Jackson Rosenberry and Kayla Siembieda —  and junior Derrick Hahn as accompanist on piano, performed the Act III sextet from “Figaro” in front of an audience of more than 300 that included directors, educators and international artists, among them legendary operatic stars George Shirley, Esther Hinds, Thomas Young, and Donnie Ray Albert.

“The convention and competition was a wonderful opportunity for our students to step outside their bubble and see where they stand in relation to their peers,” said Copeland Woodruff, director of opera studies at Lawrence. “It also afforded them the opportunity to perform for and meet opera professionals, colleagues and educators, who helped them understand what a tightly knit community the opera world is. They received valuable feedback and audience response, including that from well-respected, graduate school educators with their eyes on potential students.

“And,” Woodruff added, “it helped us showcase what amazing talent we have here at Lawrence.”

Selected on the basis of a submitted video, Lawrence was one of just five finalists chosen to perform in Division I of the competition. Lawrence competed against performers from DePauw University, Kennesaw State University, Michigan State University and Sam Houston State University.

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.        

Lawrence students earn five firsts at state singing competition

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.

Alex-Quackenbush_newsblogClover-Austin-Meuleck_newsblogYonah-Barany_newsblogAnn-Mercado_newsblogIan-Grimshaw_newblogPictured (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.

Senior John Kasper Wins Concerto Competition

John-Kasper_newsblog
John Kasper ’15

Lawrence University senior John Kasper  earned first-place honors in the recent Green Bay Civic Symphony Orchestra Miroslav Pansky Memorial Concerto Competition  Kasper is the third Lawrence student since 2009 to win the Pansky competition.

A senior cello performance major from Neenah, Kasper received a $500 prize for his winning performance of Prokofiev’s “Symphony Concertante.” He will be a guest performer with the orchestra at its concert Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015 at the Meyer Theater. He is a student in the studio of Janet Anthony, professor of music and George and Marjorie Olsen Chandler Professor Music and Teacher of Cello.

The competition, which honors the memory of Pansky, long-time conductor of the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra and founder of its youth orchestras, is open to Northeast Wisconsin students through the age of 21.

Kasper began his musical career at the Lawrence Academy of Music, where he studied for six years (2004-2010). He performed with the Academy String Orchestra and the chamber music ensembles and also took lessons in the studio of Laura Kenney.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” 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.

 

 

 

Junior Nicolas Bizub Wins Pair of Composition Competitions

Nicolas Bizub clearly has a way with…notes. Musical notes, that is.

Nic-Bizub_newsblog
Nicolas Bizub ’15

The Lawrence University junior recently was named grand prize winner of a pair of composition competitions.

A composition and viola performance major from Mukwonago, Bizub earned $500 for winning the 2014 Wisconsin Cello Society Composition Competition. His meditation piece “Dark Waves” will be featured at an upcoming Wisconsin Cello Society event.

Bizub also captured top honors in the 2014 Sewanee Summer Music Festival’s King Beetle Composition Competition, earning a $300 grand prize for his winning composition “The Legend of King Beetle.”  All participating composers had to submit a work based around the story of a famous, if not mythical, beetle on the Tennessee campus of Sewanee — The University of the South.

Written for flute, harp and bassoon, Bizub’s “The Legend of King Beetle” will be performed during Sewanee’s annual summer music festival June 21-July 20. Patricia George, mother of Lawrence violin professor Samantha George and a member of the Sewanee summer music festival faculty chamber group, will play the piece’s flute part.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.

 

Lawrence Student Musicians Earn Top Honors at State Flute Competition

Lawrence University student musicians captured the top two places at the recent (3/8) 2014 Wisconsin Flute Festival Collegiate Competition hosted by UW-Oshkosh.

Caitlynn-Winkler_newsblog
Caitlynn Winkler ’15

Juniors Caitlynn Winkler, a flute performance and music education major from Sheboygan, and Sam Rolfe, a flute performance major from Boscobel, earned first- and second-place honors, respectively. They were among three finalists selected from an initial pool of nine entries. The competition is open to undergraduates enrolled in a Wisconsin college or university.

Each presented a 15-minute program in the finals. Winkler performed “Among Fireflies” by Elainie Lillios, “Image” by Eugene Bozza, and Movement III from Eldin Burton’s “Sonatina.”

Sam-Rolfe_newsblog
Sam Rolfe ’15

Rolfe performed “Cinq Incantacions pour Flute Seule” by Andre Jolivet, “Sonata for Flute and Piano in E Major” by Johann Sebastian Bach and the world premiere of “Clockwork Koan” a piece written by Lawrence senior Chris Harrity as part of the flute and composition studio flutist/composer collaboration project.

Winkler received $250 for her winning performance while Rolfe was awarded $100. Both study in the flute studio of Assistant Professor of Music Erin Lesser.

As part of the festival, senior Schuyler Thornton was selected to play a masterclass with guest artist Stephanie Mortimer. The Lawrence Flute Ensemble was one of three groups selected to open the day-long festival as part of a flute ensemble showcase, performing three works, including a new work by Lawrence Associate Professor of Music Joanne Metcalf.

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 Fiske Guide to Colleges 2014 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.