DePauw Vocalists Win 22 Awards at Statewide Competition

November 7, 2012

East College shade xz DePauw University student vocalists won twenty-two awards, with thirteen students receiving first place honors at the Indiana State National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) auditions. The competition was held Saturday, November 3, at Indiana Wesleyan University's Phillippe Performing Arts Center in Marion. Over 300 singers competed at the event.

Other schools taking part in the competition included Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, Anderson University, Ball State University, Butler University, IUPUI (Indiana University - Purdue University at Indianapolis), as well as several private studios.

Following are the DePauw award winners, with the name of their principal voice teacher noted in parenthesis:

First Year College Women:

1^st Place: Sydney Cason (student of Pamela Coburn); 1^st Place: Julie Strauser (Caroline Smith); 3^rd Place tie: Sara Blanton (Pamela Coburn) and Kristin Daines (Pamela Coburn)

First Year College Men:

1^st Place: Benjamin Davis (Kerry Jennings); 3^rd Place (room 3-1): Yazid Pierce-Gray (Caroline Smith)

Second Year College Women:

1^st Place: Anna Gatdula (Kerry Jennings)

Second Year College Men:

1^st Place: Joseph Leppek (Caroline Smith); 3^rd Place : Austin Lowe (Caroline Smith)

Mature Beginner (Men & Women):

1^st Place tie: Melanie Case (Caroline Smith) and Crystal Lau (Pamela Coburn)

Third Year College Women:

1^st Place: Emily Barnash (Pamela Coburn); 2^nd Place: Elleka Okerstrom (Caroline Smith)

Third Year College Men:

1^st Place tie: Blake Lampton (Kerry Jennings) and Lance Orta (Kerry Jennings); 3^rd Place: Nicholas Hinz (Kerry Jennings)

Fourth Year College Women:

1^st Place: Elisa Sunshine (Pamela Coburn); 2^nd Place: Claire Wilkinson (Pamela Coburn)

Fourth Year College Men:

1^st Place: Erik Erlandson (Caroline Smith)

First & Second Year College Men & Women – Musical Theatre:

1^st Place: Catherine Smith (Caroline Smith)

Third & Fourth Year College Men & Women – Musical Theatre:

1^st Place: Emma Scherer (Valentin Lanzrein); 3^rd Place: Kari Nelson (Kerry Jennings)

Founded in 1884, the DePauw University School of Music is one of the nation's oldest private institutions for post-secondary music instruction and the longest-running in Indiana.

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