National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS)

Tag: National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS)

Conservatory Hits High Notes with an Awards-Filled November

By Savvas Sfairopoulos ‘19

A scene from the opera "Le comte Ory"The Lawrence University Conservatory of Music clinched an impressive list of awards this November, with major wins at opera and voice competitions. Lawrence University placed first in Division 4 of the National Opera Association’s Best Opera Production 2017-2018 for their production of The Count Ory. The French comedic opera by Rossini was staged in March under the instruction of Director of Opera Studies Copeland Woodruff. Opera studies also had a strong showing in the musical theater division of the Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition, making it to the finals. In addition to the impressive group performances, Jack Murphy ’21 of Neenah, Wis., and Nysios Poulakos ’21 of Iowa City, Iowa, will be competing at the NOA National Conference in Salt Lake City in the January in the musical theatre division, performing a scene from Duncan Sheik and Steven Slater’s Spring Awakening.

In more exciting news for Lawrence opera, Anna Mosoriak ’19 of Highland, Ind., won a Metropolitan Opera National Council Encouragement Award. The MET Opera National Council is the most prestigious competition in the United States for young singers; the Encouragement Award is presented to singers who, though they do not advance to the next round of the competition, show promising talent.

The list of accomplishments for the Conservatory continues, with 10 Lawrentians earning accolades in a huge showing at the annual Wisconsin Chapter of the National Association of Teachers and Singing (NATS) competition held Nov. 3-4 at UW-Whitewater.

Kyree Allen ’22, Washington, D.C.: First place men’s first-year college classical division.

Clover Austin-Muehleck ’19, San Francisco, Calif.: First place women’s fourth-year college classical division.

Emily Austin ’21, Washington, D.C.: First place women’s third-year college classical division.

Nick Fahrenkrug ’20, Davenport, Iowa: First place men’s third-year college classical division; this is Nick’s third straight NATS title.

Alex Iglinski ’19, Muskego, Wis.: Second place men’s third and fourth-year musical theatre division.

Hannah Jones ’22, Houston, Texas: First place women’s first-year college classical division.

Baron Lam ’21, Galesburg, Ill.: Second place men’s second-year college classical division.

Emma Milton ’21, Muskego, Wis.: Second place women’s second-year college classical division.

Jack Murphy ’21: First place men’s first and second-year musical theater division and first place men’s second-year college classical division.

Sarah Scofield ’21, West Lafayette, Ind.: First place women’s second-year college classical division.

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. This year’s showing builds on Lawrence’s winning tradition at NATS; Lawrence singers have regularly taken first-place honors in a competition that draws hundreds of singers from around the state.

Lawrence University Students Earns Seven Firsts at State Singing Competition

With her fourth consecutive state title, Alisa Jordheim was one of seven Lawrence University students who earned first-place honors at the 2005 Wisconsin chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition held Nov. 4-5 at Viterbo College in La Crosse.

Lawrence students dominated the annual state competition, winning seven of 11 divisions with 21 students advancing to the finals.

Jordheim, a student in the voice studio of KrisAnne Weiss, ’97, was awarded first-place honors in the college sophomore women division. She won the college freshman women division last year and girls’ high school categories in 2003 and 2002.

Patrick Ireland, Appleton, earned his third NATS title, winning the men’s upper college musical theatre division, while Matthew Vitti, New Caanan, Conn., a 2003 NATS winner, won the senior men division. Ireland, a 2001 and 2003 NATS winner, and Vitti are both students of professor of music Ken Bozeman.

Other first-place Lawrence finishers included Lacey Benter, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the freshman women division; Alex Tyink, Appleton, in the freshman men division; Andrew Lovato, Waukesha, in the sophomore men division; and Becca Young, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the senior women division.

Tyink, Lovato, and Young are also students of Ken Bozeman, while Benter studies in the voice studio of Joanne Bozeman. First-place finishers were awarded $100 for their winning efforts.

A total of 39 Lawrence students and one student from the Lawrence Academy of Music participated in this year’s competition. In addition to the seven first-place winners, five students earned second-place honors: Emily Shankman (freshman women), Garth Neustadter (freshman men); Emily Fink (sophomore women); Scott Sandersfeld (senior men); and Brad Grimmer (men’s upper college music theatre).

The 2005 NATS competition featured 417 singers from colleges and high schools throughout Wisconsin. 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.

Rob Engelhart, associate professor of music at Northern Michigan University, Susan Jones, vocal/opera/choral program coordinator at the University of Iowa and Larry Weller, professor of music at the University of Minnesota, served as guest judges for the competition.

Lawrence University Students Earn Six Firsts at State Singing Competition

Lawrence University freshman Alisa Jordheim won her third consecutive state title at the Wisconsin chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition, helping Lawrence Conservatory of Music students claim top honors in six of 14 divisions. The annual state competition was held Nov. 5-6 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Jordheim, a student in the voice studio of Lawrence professor of music Patrice Michaels earned first-place honors in the college freshman women division. As a student at Appleton North High School, Jordheim previously won the high school music theatre division in 2003 and the high school girls division in 2002.

Pete Petersen, Fort Madison, Iowa, and a student of professor Joanne Boseman, earned his second straight NATS title, winning the senior men division after capturing the men’s junior division crown in 2003.

Other first-place Lawrence finishers included Erica Hamilton, Milwaukee, in the sophomore women division; Brad Grimmer, Mequon, in the junior men division; junior Megan Flod, Stillwater, Minn., in the women’s lower college musical theatre division; and Andria Helm, Rocky Mount, N.C., in the continuing senior women division. Hamilton studies under Joanne Bozeman, Grimmer is a student in the voice studio of professor Ken Bozeman, Flod studies under Michaels and Helm is a student of professor Karen Leigh-Post.

In addition, Anna Koll, a senior at Appleton North High School who also studies with Leigh-Post as a student at the Lawrence Academy of Music, earned first-place honors in the high school girls division. First-place finishers were awarded $100 for their winning efforts.

A total of 42 Lawrence students and two Lawrence Academy of Music students participated in this year’s NATS competition, with 17 of them advancing to the finals. Second-place honors were awarded to Keely Borland, (freshman women), Meredith Claycomb (sophomore women) and Matt Murphy, (men’s lower college music theatre).

The 2004 NATS competition featured more than 480 singers from colleges and high schools throughout Wisconsin. 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. George Vassos, a former tenor with the New York Philharmonic and a voice professor at the Cleveland Institute of Music, served as guest judge for the competition.

Lawrence University Students Earn Six Firsts at State Singing Competition

Lawrence University conservatory of music students earned first-place honors in six divisions, including both music theatre categories, at the 2003 Wisconsin chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) audition competition held Nov. 7-8 on the Lawrence campus.

Senior Jacob Allen, who finished second a year ago in this competition, and sophomore Jennifer Nummerdor won top honors in the upper college division and lower college music theatre categories, respectively.

Other winning performances included Julie Silver in the sophomore women division; Matthew Vitti in the sophomore men division, Pete Petersen in the junior men division and Patrick Ireland, a 2001 winner in the sophomore division, in the senior and continuing senior men division. Allen, Vitti, and Ireland are students in the voice studio of professor Ken Bozeman. Silver and Nummerdor study under voice professor Karen Leigh-Post and Petersen is a student of Joanne Bozeman.

In addition, Alisa Jordheim, a senior at Appleton North High School who studies with Lawrence voice professor Patrice Michaels, placed first in the high school music theatre division. First-place finishers were awarded $100 for their winning efforts.

A total of 49 Lawrence students and two Lawrence Academy of Music students participated in this year’s NATS competition, with 18 of them advancing to the finals. Second-place honors went to sophomore Brad Grimmer and seniors Ricardo Lesperance (graduate division), Matt Schafer and Rachel McNeill while Andria Helm and Elaine Moran earned third-place honors in the senior women and upper college music theatre divisions, respectively.

The 2003 NATS competition featured 425 singers from colleges and high schools throughout Wisconsin. 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. Acclaimed mezzo-soprano Karen Brunssen, a voice professor at Northwestern University, served as guest judge for the competition.