Lawrence University students captured a pair of first-place honors at the recent 2015 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Wisconsin state competition conducted at UW-Eau Claire.
Sophomore Anthony Cardella, Porterfield, and senior Leo Sussman, San Francisco, Calif., won the piano and flute divisions, respectively, in the MTNA’s Young Artist (19-26 years of age) competition. Cardella is 15th Lawrence piano student in the past 16 years to win the Wisconsin MTNA competition.
Cardella and Sussman advance to the MTNA’s five-state East Central Division regional competition, which will be held Jan. 15-16, 2016 at Indiana’s Goshen College. Regional winners will compete in the MTNA national finals April 2 in San Antonio, Texas.
A student in the studio of Associate Professor Michael Mizrahi, Cardella performed “Impromptu Op. 90 No. 4,” by Franz Schubert, “Un Sospiro” from “Three Concert Etudes S. 144 No. 3” by Franz Liszt, “Feux d’artifice” from “Preludes Book 2” by Claude Debussy and “Moment Musicaux Op. 16 No. 4” by Sergi Rachmaninoff.
Sussman, who studies in the flute studio of Assistant Professor Erin Lesser, performed “Chant de Linos” by Andre Jolivet, a flute concerto by Carl Nielsen, CPE Bach’s “Unaccompanied sonata in A minor” and Philippe Hurel’s “Loops I” for solo flute.
Other Lawrence musicians also were recognized. Senior Anne Daley and freshman Ming Hu were named first alternate in the flute and piano divisions, respectively. Senior Joey Arkfeld, sophomore Xiaoya Gao and sophomore Ethan Valentine were awarded honorable mention recognition in the Young Artist piano division.
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” 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.
