Krista Benesch, a sophomore B.M.E. student in the Glenn Korff School of Music from Kearney, Nebraska, won honorable mention in the 2017 Orfeo Music Festival international competition in Vipiteno/Sterzing, Italy.
“Krista’s award is certainly well deserved,” said Assistant Professor of Voice Jamie Reimer, who is serving this year in her third year as an artist faculty at the Orfeo Music Festival. “In her first year at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Krista has crafted her tremendous natural talent into a rich and expressive instrument. Her performance of Ernest Chausson’s ‘Les temps de lilas’ was poignant and heartbreaking.”
Benesch performed Mozart’s ‘Non so piu” from Le nozze di Figaro, as well as Chausson’s “Les temps de lilas’ in the final round of the competition.
The Orfeo Music Festival is an international summer classical music and arts event widely known for its artistic excellence. The Orfeo International Music Competition is comprised of the following specialties: voice, piano, violin, viola, cello, contrabass, flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon. It is open to anyone up to age 30 and consists of junior and adult divisions. Winners are featured in a special Competition Winners Concert.
Benesch received a grant from the Hixson-Lied Endowment to attend the Festival.
“International experiences such as the Orfeo Music Festival provide our students the opportunity to learn from some of the most respected teachers in their art form,” Reimer said. “The support of the Hixson-Lied grants make these otherwise unattainable—and invaluable—learning experiences possible.”