Concordia College-trained singers once again excelled in the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition, the annual statewide classical and musical theatre singing contest in November at Bethel University, St. Paul.
Twenty-five Concordia students competed in the statewide event, with 11 advancing to the semifinals and nine advancing to the finals. More than 200 students representing more than a dozen schools and studios from across the state competed.
“This competition is a wonderful opportunity for young singers to perform repertoire outside of an academic setting,” said Dr. Anthony Leathem, associate professor of voice at Concordia. “Each category is adjudicated by three voice teachers who are also NATS members, and students receive valuable feedback from experienced educators and professionals. Just as importantly, they also have the chance to hear and learn from their peers from around the state.”
In order to compete, first- and second-year students must prepare three pieces for the event, and juniors and seniors prepare four each. Repertoire is selected and tailored to each individual singer’s voice type by their instructors, Leathem said.
Students spend significant time learning and memorizing their repertoire, often across multiple languages and musical styles, while their instructors coach them on technique, diction, and performance skills. Typically, before attending the competition, participating students will sing in a recital, allowing them to perform one selection each in front of a live audience.
“We attend NATS every year. Bringing a strong group of Cobbers to this event has long been a point of pride for our program,” Leathem said. “This year’s results were consistent with how we typically do: many of our students advanced to the semifinals and finals, and we had several category winners as well.”
In addition to the students and their vocal instructors — Leathem, Dr. Robin Griffeath, Dr. Anne Jennifer Nash, Dr. Holly Janz — collaborative pianists Andrew Steinberg, Rachel Horan, and Sue Nagel provided accompaniment for the student singers, helping make the competition possible.
Finalists in the Musical Theatre category were:
- Chloe Hall, a student of Griffeath, upper high school treble, second place
- Sam Schaefer ’29, a student of Griffeath, lower college tenor/bass, second place
Finalists in the Classical category were:
- Chloe Hall, a student of Griffeath, upper high school treble, first place
- Sophia Keller ’28, a student of Nash, sophomore treble, second place
- Isaac Nelson ’28, a student of Griffeath, sophomore tenor/bass, first place
- Carly Comstock ’27, a student of Janz, junior treble, second place
- Jacob Schlueter ’27, a student of Griffeath, junior tenor/bass, first place
- Aidan Anderson ’27, a student of Leathem, junior tenor/bass, third place
- Gracie Fink ’26, a student of Nash, senior treble, second place
- Jacob Penny ’26, a student of Leathem, senior treble, third place
Semifinalists in the Classical category were:
- Evelyn Gould ’28, a student of Griffeath, sophomore treble
- Henry Sipples ’26, a student of Leathem, senior tenor/bass
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- Minnesota NATS