Forty-one singers from the Glenn Korff School of Music performed at the West Central National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Auditions and took home 29 percent of all awards presented.
“I am so proud of our students’ superb work at the West Central Regional National Association of Teachers of Singing auditions,” said Jamie Reimer, the Richard H. Larson Professor of Music and Voice Area Head. “Our region includes well-established schools of music in Kansas and Colorado, and our students demonstrated that their skill, artistry, and commitment to excellence places them among the best in the Midwest. I look forward to seeing them perform at the national level this spring.”
A total of 290 singers from Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming performed 338 auditions at the regional competition. All students earning first through fifth place at the regional auditions qualify for the national round of student auditions in the spring.
Seventeen students from the Glenn Korff School of Music qualified to move on to the national round of the competition, including three in multiple categories. The students earned a total of 24 recognitions for their vocal performances of classical, music theatre and American spiritual repertoire.
“I was very surprised,” said Dylan Anderson, a music education senior who placed first in the Upper College Music Theatre Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices and was a semifinalist in the Fourth-/Fifth-Year Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices. “As the names kept coming, I was thinking in my head, ‘How did I do this?’ I competed in both classical and musical theater, and the year prior, I had won the classical category, but this year, I did not make it out of semis. I did make it to finals for musical theatre, however, and I do not sing this repertoire that often. I just thought I would try it this year since it was my last year. I was not expecting anything.”
Anderson said the auditions help build connections.
“These [auditions] help get feedback on singing and the overall look and feel of the performance,” Anderson said. “They also help connect people with professors across the area who have connections with others across the country. These connections are nice to have when applying for grad schools and performance jobs. Everyone who participated did an amazing job, and it was a pleasure to see people perform.”
Anderson said his studies in the Glenn Korff School of Music have helped him in the technique aspect of singing, but he also learned a lot from studying in Austria last summer at the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS).
“I gained more confidence studying in Austria this summer at AIMS,’ he said. “There was a performance skills teacher there by the name of Patricia Weinmann. She helped me feel more comfortable moving around because I normally stand like a pencil and sing my songs. Whenever I would say I do not like something or that I wasn’t comfortable, she would say, ‘You just haven’t done it yet.’”
BinBin Ni, a doctoral voice performance major from Qingyang, China, won 1st place in the Advanced/Graduate Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass category.
“I felt very surprised and excited,” he said of his 1st place ranking. “It has always been my wish to share the beauty and uniqueness of Chinese art songs with others through such opportunities. Before the performance, I was worried that the audience might not appreciate my singing, but when I heard the cheers and applause, I felt extremely happy. All the hard work and effort were worth it.”
Ni, who signed with the Asian International Music Exchange Association’s artist program in September, said the West Central NATS auditions had many benefits for him.
“These auditions provide me with an opportunity to showcase my vocal skills and gain stage experience while receiving valuable feedback from professional judges to help me improve,” he said. “Performing a variety of pieces also enriches my repertoire and expressive range. For me, it is a crucial opportunity for self-improvement and laying the foundation for my future career.”
The national semifinals and finals will be held June 26-28 at Temple University in Philadelphia.
The individual awards won by UNL students included (their vocal professor is listed in parenthesis):
• First-Year Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices
3rd: Sean Heaton (William Shomos)
Semifinalists: Chris Dickson (Kevin Hanrahan) and Kirby Le (Jared Hiscock)
• Second-Year Classical Treble Voices
2nd: Bri Stai (Jamie Reimer)
Semifinalist: Chloe Holsinger (Rachel Green)
• Second-Year Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices
1st: James Rasser (Jamie Reimer)
4th: Jonah Wemhoff (Jamie Reimer)
• Third-Year Classical Treble Voices
3rd: Rose McClelland (Jamie Reimer)
4th: Sofia Dominguez (Amy Guevara)
• Third-Year Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices
4th: Carson Doss (Amy Guevara)
• Fourth-/Fifth-Year Classical Treble Voices
2nd: Evangeline Mason (Jamie Reimer)
4th: Annika Burds (William Shomos)
• Fourth-/Fifth-Year Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices
Semifinalist: Dylan Anderson (Kevin Hanrahan)
• Advanced/Graduate Classical Treble Voices
4th: Sylvia O’Neill (Jamie Reimer)
• Advanced/Graduate Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass
1st: BinBin Ni (Kevin Hanrahan)
4th: Tanner Engeseth (Jamie Reimer)
• Avocational Non-Traditional/Adult Classical
1st: Han Cheng (Kevin Hanrahan)
• Non-Traditional/Adult Classical
3rd: Xiaotian Hu (Jamie Reimer)
• Lower College (1st/2nd year) Music Theatre Treble Voices
1st: Brianna Stai (Jamie Reimer)
2nd: Mariana Hernandez (Jamie Reimer)
• Lower College Music Theatre Tenor, Baritone or Bass
1st: James Rasser (Jamie Reimer)
3rd: Chris Dickson (Kevin Hanrahan)
• Upper College (third-/fourth-year) Music Theatre Treble Voices
4th: Faith Polivanov (William Shomos)
5th: Ella Young (William Shomos)
Semifinalists: Sara Kalamaia (Amy Guevara) and Rachel Kovar (Amy Guevara)
• Upper College Music Theatre Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices
1st: Dylan Anderson (Kevin Hanrahan)
4th: Carson Doss (Amy Guevara)
Semifinalist: John Heldridge (William Shomos)
• Advanced/Graduate American Spirituals
3rd: Sylvia O’Neill (Jamie Reimer)
• Non-Traditional/Adult Musical Theatre
2nd: Xiaotian Hu (Jamie Reimer)
Collaborative pianists: Denis Plutalov, Luke Eckles, Graham House and Janka Krajciova.