The Grove City College Department of Music’s Concerto/Aria Competition provides a stage for music students to test their talents and earn a place in the spotlight.
That was the case last weekend as the annual competition, now in its 31st year, produced a pair of winners who will be featured performers during the College Symphony Orchestra concert in January.
Top honors went to pianist Sarah Altman ’27, piano, who played the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 in Eb Major, third movement, and cellist Anna Buckingham ’25, who played the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, third movement. Honorable mentions when to Liam Cummings ‘26, baritone, and Hannah Jen ‘27, piano.
“This is one of my favorite evenings of the year because it gives students an opportunity to perform at the highest level and receive feedback,” said department Chair and Professor of Music Dr. Jeffrey Tedford, who hosted the event.
The Concerto/Aria Competition attracts Grove City College’s top music students. It is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors from any major who are enrolled in private lessons with a College instructor. Their vocal and instrumental performances are evaluated by three independent judges who are experts in the fields of music performance and education.
“I am so proud of each of the students and their accompanists who prepare for months for this event. It is so rewarding to see the musical growth of these students and the support they offer each other despite the competitive atmosphere,” Tedford said.
This year’s competition included 12 students: two seniors, five juniors, and five sophomores. These students sang arias or performed concertos on oboe, piano, violin, cello, or flute. Each student was allotted a maximum of 10 minutes to perform after which the judges wrote comments and scored each performance. At the end of the competition, the judges compared their scoring sheets to determine the two overall winners.