Korff School vocalists win nearly third of awards at regional contest

Dylan Anderson (left) and BinBin Ni (right) both earned first-place awards in the recent West Central National Association of Teachers of Singing auditions.

Forty-one singers from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Glenn Korff School of Music recently performed at the West Central National Association of Teachers of Singing auditions and took home 29% of all awards presented.

“I am so proud of our students’ superb work at the auditions,” said Jamie Reimer, Richard H. Larson Professor of music (vocal) 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.”

The regional competition, held at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas, included 290 singers from Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming performing 338 auditions. Students placing in the top five in each category qualified for the national round of student auditions in the spring.

The Huskers qualified 17 students for the national competition, including three in multiple categories. The students earned a total of 31 recognitions in the regional contest.

“I was very surprised,” said Dylan Anderson, a senior music education major who placed first in the Upper College Music Theater Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices category and was a semifinalist in the Fourth-/Fifth-Year Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices category. “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 theater, 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,” he 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 Korff School have helped him improve his singing technique. He also gained confidence from studying last summer at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Austria.

“There was a performance skills teacher there by the name of Patricia Weinmann,” he said. "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 student in voice performance from Qingyang, China, won first place in the Advanced/Graduate Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass category.

“I felt very surprised and excited,” he said of winning. “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 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 following Husker students placed in the West Central National Association of Teachers of Singing auditions. They are listed alphabetically by hometown, with their year in school, academic major(s) or program, place, category and vocal professor (in parentheses).

Nebraska

Clay Center:

Sean Heaton, sophomore, music education, third, First-Year Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices (William Shomos).

Grand Island:

Sofia Dominguez, junior, music education, fourth, Third-Year Classical Treble Voices (Amy Guevara).

Lincoln:

Han Cheng, doctoral student, music (voice performance), first, Avocational Nontraditional/Adult Classical (Kevin Hanrahan).
Chris Dickson, freshman, music (voice), third, Lower College (First-/Second-Year) Music Theatre Tenor, Baritone or Bass; semifinalist, First-Year Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices (Kevin Hanrahan).
Chloe Holsinger, sophomore, music education, semifinalist, Second-Year Classical Treble Voices (Rachel Green).
Kirby Le, sophomore, music education, semifinalist, First-Year Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices (Jared Hiscock).
Faith Polivanov, senior, music (voice), fourth, Upper College (Third-/Fourth-Year) Music Theatre Treble Voices (William Shomos).
Brianna Stai, junior, music (voice), first, Lower College (First-/Second-Year) Music Theatre Treble Voices; second, Second-Year Classical Treble Voices (Jamie Reimer).

Omaha:

John Heldridge, junior, music education, semifinalist, Upper College (Third-/Fourth-Year) Music Theatre Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices (William Shomos).
Mariana Hernandez-Moreno, sophomore, music education, second, Lower College (First-/Second-Year) Music Theatre Treble Voices (Jamie Reimer).
Sara Kalamaja, junior, music education, semifinalist, Upper College (Third-/Fourth-Year) Music Theatre Treble Voices (Amy Guevara).

Papillion:

Evangeline Mason, senior, music (voice) and French, second, Fourth-/Fifth-Year Classical Treble Voices (Jamie Reimer).
James Rasser, junior, music (voice), first, Lower College (First/Second-Year) Music Theatre Tenor, Baritone or Bass; first, Second-Year Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices (Jamie Reimer).

Wayne:

Dylan Anderson, senior, music education, first, Upper College (Third-/Fourth-Year) Music Theatre Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices; semifinalist, Fourth-/Fifth-Year Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voice (Kevin Hanrahan).

Elsewhere

Ankeny, Iowa:

Annika Burds, senior, music (voice), fourth, Fourth-/Fifth-Year Classical Treble Voices (William Shomos).
Carson Doss, senior, music and theatre arts, fourth, Third-Year Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices; fourth, Upper College (Third-/Fourth-Year) Music Theatre Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices (Amy Guevara).

Red Oak, Iowa:

Jonah Wemhoff, sophomore, music education, fourth, Second-Year Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass Voices (Jamie Reimer).

Lawrence, Kansas:

Ella Young, senior, music (voice), fifth, Upper College (Third-/Fourth-Year) Music Theatre Treble Voices (William Shomos).

Manhattan, Kansas:

Rachel Kovar, junior, music education, semifinalist, Upper College (Third-/Fourth-Year) Music Theatre Treble Voices (Amy Guevara).

Huron, South Dakota:

Sylvia O'Neill, graduate student, music (voice performance), third, Advanced/Graduate American Spirituals; fourth, Advanced/Graduate Classical Treble Voices (Jamie Reimer).

Annandale, Virginia:

Rose McClelland, senior, music (voice), third, Third-Year Classical Treble Voices (Jamie Reimer).

DeForest, Wisconsin:

Tanner Engeseth, graduate student, music (voice performance), fourth, Advanced/Graduate Classical Tenor, Baritone or Bass (Jamie Reimer).

Changsha, China:

Xiaotian Hu, doctoral student, music (voice performance), second, Nontraditional/Adult Musical Theatre; third, Nontraditional/Adult Classical (Jamie Reimer).

Qingyang, China: