Grove City College students took top spots at last month’s National Association of Teachers of Singing Tri-State Chapter 2022 Student Audition.
The vocal competition included more than 100 voice students from Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, and West Virginia from middle school musical theater to graduate-school-level opera.
It provided a superb opportunity for the College’s already accomplished singers to distinguish themselves in a field of competitors from peer institutions including Slippery Rock University, Westminster College, Geneva College, Seton Hill College, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Marshall University, and West Virginia University.
Grove City College hosted the competition on Nov. 5. Participants competed in three categories: Classical Voice, Music Theatre, or Contemporary Music. A typical “audition” consists of three or more songs, sung from memory for a panel of professional vocalists and teachers from the region; the most promising students then proceed to a concert-style finals round where chapter members determine the winners.
Students of Grove City College vocal instructors Drs. Sasha Piastro-Tedford and Charles “Chip” Dugan performed outstandingly.
Senior vocal performance major, David Snoeberger placed first in the Fourth Year Men’s College Classical Voice division. Junior education major Tristan Donica placed first in the Third Year College Men’s Classical Voice division.
Junior music education major Madeline Helm, also a double major in vocal performance, earned first place in the Third Year Women’s Classical division.
Abigail Ruhl, a sophomore musical theatre minor, received second place in the Musical Theatre division. Mary Bargery, a sophomore musical theatre minor, received third place in the Musical Theatre division.
Freshmen music education majors Liam Cummings and Daniel Garner placed first and third respectively in First Year College Men’s Classical Voice. Freshman Lee Twombly placed third in the First Year Men’s College Music Theatre division.
“I am very proud of our students, their accompanists, and our faculty for these outstanding results. I am proud of every student who participated and thankful to our team of faculty, staff, and students who went above and beyond to host this event at Grove City College,” Dr. Jeffrey Tedford ’00, chair of the Department of Music, said. “This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their talents to the judges, but also for prospective students to see that Grove City College provides an outstanding musical education at a beautiful campus within a Christ-centered atmosphere.”
The Grove City College Department of Music offers five degree programs leading to the Bachelor of Music Degree as well as minors in Music and Musical Theatre. The Department of Music equips students for a musical career through diverse performance and leadership opportunities, high-quality rehearsal facilities and performance venues, and faculty mentors who cultivate each student’s holistic growth as a musician and person of influence.
For more about the Department of Music at Grove City College, visit www.gcc.edu/music.