The National Association of the Teachers of Singing (NATS) West Central 2016 Student Auditions took place at Wichita State University on Nov. 4-5, 2016. There were 342 students-singers entered, adjudicated by 56 voice professionals from private studios, universities and colleges in Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming.
Twenty University of Nebraska-Lincoln Glenn Korff School of Music student-singers qualified to enter the 2017 NATS National Student Auditions. Nebraska students won 29 percent of the collegiate prizes and 57 percent of the categories.
They included:
First-year women – 1: Allison Gillespie; 3: Krista Benesch; semi-finalist: Courtney Riedman
First-year men – 3: Matthew Carter; semi-finalists: Dakota Mathew, Jacob Thomas
Sophomore women – 1: Skyler Dykes; 5: Mary Dowd; semi-finalists: Victoria Handford, Abby Kurth, Liza Piccoli
Sophomore men – 1: Tyler Cox; 2 (tie): Cal Cross and Sam Mitchell
Junior women – semi-finalist: Haley Doty
Senior women – 1: Kathleen Johnson
Senior men – 4: Sebastian Sorensen
Graduate women – 2: Arica Coleman; semi-finalist: Krista Lawrence
First-year and sophomore women in musical theatre – 1: Victoria Handford; 3: Liza Piccoli; semi-finalists: Skyler Dykes, Katelyn Hinderer, Abby Kurth
First-year and sophomore men in musical theatre – 1: Tyler Cox; 2: Sam Mitchell; 3: Matthew Carter; 5: Jacob Thomas; semi-finalists: Dakota Mathew, Braxton Carr
Junior and senior women in musical theatre – 1: Maddie Stuart; semi-finalists: Brittany Albin, Jeannie Hageman, Brooke Lewis
Junior and senior men in musical theatre – 1: Nicholas Prior; 5: Sebastian Sorensen