The Glenn Korff School of Music has five students and alumni who received six national semi-finalist positions in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Student Auditions and Young Artist Competitions.
The finals will be held in Chicago from July 7-10. National semi-finalists have completed six independent rounds of competition to be named one of the top 14 singers in the nation in their age/gender category.
NATS is in the third year of holding a national level of their Student Auditions, which is the largest live competition for college vocalists in the world. In addition to the collegiate auditions, it also holds additional independent competitions for young professionals in musical theatre and art song performance.
"To have passed through six rounds of blind judging and be named one of the 14 best student vocalists in the nation in your age/category is a tremendous honor," said Coordinator of Musical Theatre Studies Alisa Belflower. "To have four national semi-finalist awards within my voice studio this year is an exceptional honor. I will continue working with these students more this summer to ensure they are ready to perform as close to their gifted potential as possible when we travel to nationals in Chicago."
The semi-finalists are:
• Sam Mitchell, a B.M. freshman from Lincoln, Nebraska, in Category VI: Lower College Music Theater Men. Mitchell is a student of Belflower.
• Sebastian Sorensen, a B.M. senior from Fremont, Nebraska, is a semi-finalist in two categories: Category X: Upper College Music Theater Men and Category XII: Upper College Men. Sorensen is a student of Belflower.
• Krista Lawrence, M.M. from Laramie, Wyoming, is a semi-finalist in Category XIII: Advanced College Women (Graduate Women). Lawrence is a student of Belflower.
• Kayla Wilkens, M.M. 2014, is a semi-finalist in the National Musical Theatre Competition (Young Professionals). A recent alumna, Wilkens studied with Assistant Professor of Voice Jamie Reimer while at UNL and studies privately now with Belflower.
• Emily Roach, M.M. from Lincoln, Nebraska, is a semi-finalist in the NATS Artist Awards. Roach is a student of Reimer.
"The Glenn Korff School of Music has an impressive contingent of vocalists, who will be competing in the culminating rounds of these three national competitions," Belflower said. "I am certain that each will contribute to UNL's growing reputation as having a respected School of Music, where students receive nationally competitive training in vocal performance."