Korff School junior wins MTNA state competition

Kayla Pracht
Kayla Pracht

Kayla Pracht, a junior music major from Waverly, Nebraska, won the brass division of the Music Teacher’s National Association (MTNA) competition.

The competition was open to all collegiate-level brass students in the state of Nebraska. She will now advance to the West Central Regional round, which features the winners from seven surrounding states.

“”I was so surprised to see my name next to the ‘winner’ of the brass division,” Pracht said. “It means so much to me. I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this without the love and support from my family, friends and, most of all, my professor, Dr. Alan Mattingly.”

Professor of Horn Alan F. Mattingly said Pracht has shown tremendous growth this year.

“Her command of the instrument and overall musicianship continues to skyrocket, and her dedication and work ethic only accelerates that growth,” he said. “Kayla is such an important part of the Husker Horn Studio, and she continues an impressive lineage of winners at this competition.”

The competition was held online this year due to the pandemic. Pracht played “Nocturno” by Franz Strauss, the first movement of Mozart’s third horn concerto, and the first movement of “Morceau de Concert” by Camille Saint-Saëns.

“For this competition, everyone plays the same repertoire for each round,” Pracht said. She will be playing the same pieces for the West Central Regional round when she submits her recordings for that competition by Dec. 2.

“This honor really motivated me to keep pushing myself to grow as a musician and a horn player,” Pracht said. “This motivation has pushed me to practice more and accomplish my goals.”

Pracht is working toward a Bachelor of Music in horn performance in the Glenn Korff School of Music. She plays with the Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. In her senior year of high school, she was invited to be a member of the 2018 Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall, where she played second horn in the orchestra.

View a link of Pracht playing “Nocturno” at https://youtu.be/VHyjX5ZaYv8.