UNCSA voice students win awards at statewide competition
A high school student in the School of Music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts was named outstanding high school female singer at the classical music competition of the North Carolina Chapter, National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). Annabelle Welford-Small of Hillsborough also tied for first place in her age division.
She was one of 13 UNCSA voice students who won awards at the recent state auditions held in Greensboro. They are students of Marion Pratnicki, Glenn Siebert and Marilyn Taylor.
“Competitions like the NATS student auditions are a terrific opportunity for the singers in our conservatory to enhance their performance skills and build their resumes,” said Brian Cole, Dean of the School of Music. “Guided by expert faculty mentors, who are members of NATS, the students work very hard preparing for the competition. I’m proud to see such a strong showing for the UNCSA School of Music.”
Also in the high school division at NATS, Sara Gordon of Chapel Hill won second place.
In the college competition, winners from UNCSA include:
First-year: Jillian Griffey of Advance, first place women’s; Carson Weddle of Raleigh, first place men’s; Lauren Juliette Matthews of Greensboro, second place women’s; and Jacob Kepley of Boonville, second place men’s.
Second-year, all in the women’s competition: Catherine Pate Young of Morehead City, first place; Natalie Pendás of Lauderhill, Fla., second place; and Grace Manning of Winston-Salem, Katharine Ledbetter of High Point, and Morgan Elise Brady of Kennesaw, Ga., all third place.
Third year: Bonnie Blackwell of West Chester, Ohio, first place women’s; and Keegan Welford-Small of Hillsborough, third place men’s.
Singers who place in the top five in each division are eligible to participate the regional auditions to be held March 22 and 23 at Towson University in Towson, Md. Additional UNCSA students who qualified for the regionals include: Joshua Hill, high school student from High Point, Angelina Bassi, first-year college from Oak Ridge, Chelsea Smith, second-year college from Charlotte and Evynne Franklin, third- year college from Hillsborough.
Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, NATS is the largest professional association of teachers of singing in the world with more than 7,000 members in the United States, Canada, and more than 35 other countries.
March 14, 2019