Schwob Voice Students Excel at NATS Competition

The Georgia NATS competition (National Association of Teachers of Singing) took place November 6-7 at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. Here are the CSU students who placed in the 2015 Georgia NATS competition:

• Lar'Kara Betha, 1st Place First Year College Women, Student of Michelle DeBruyn
• Erica Humbert, 2nd Place Fourth/Fifth Year College Women, Student of Earl Coleman
• Brittany Parker, 2nd Place First Year College Women, Student of Dian Lawler-Johnson
• William Rollins, 2nd Place First Year College Men, Student of Earl Coleman
• Nick White, 2nd Place, Lower level Musical Theater College Men, Student of Earl Coleman
• Nick White, 2nd Place Second Year College Men, Student of Earl Coleman
• Chase Worthey, 2nd Place Second Year College Women, Student of Earl Coleman
• Olivia McWaters, 3rd Place First Year College Women, Student of Earl Coleman
• Janice Lynch, 3rd Place Second Year College Women, Student of Dian Lawler-Johnson
• Brielle Sims, 3rd Place Second Year College Women, Student of Dian Lawler-Johnson
• Katherine Holbrook, 3rd Place Second Year College Women, Student of Earl Coleman
• Brianna Wilson, 3rd Place Third Year College Women, Student of Earl Coleman

Dian Lawler-Johnson had three private students also place in the competition this weekend: Lindsay Head, 1st Place Overall Lower High School Women; Sarah Clements, 2nd Place Upper High School Women; and Robin Lindsay, 2nd Place Advance College/Independent Studio Women.

Students were skillfully accompanied all weekend long by Columbus State's Janie Lee Bullock, Aesook Lim, Tatiana Muzanova, Mary Walker, and Shanshan Xie. Credit also is due to those vocal area faculty who were not present at the event: Kimberly Cone, Joseph Golden, Michelle Herring, and Constantina Tsolainou.

Schwob Students Win, Place at MTNA State Competition

Congratulations to these students from the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University, who were recognized in Atlanta at the recent Georgia competitions of the Music Teachers National Association. Winners will advance to the 9-state MTNA Southern Region competitions in January.

Lar'Kara Betha, student of Michelle DeBruyn, won the Senior Vocal Competition, and Nathaniel Thomas, also a student of Dr. DeBruyn, received Honorable Mention in the Young Artist Voice Competition.

In the Young Artist Piano Competition, three students of Alexander Kobrin were recognized: Zhirui Zhou as Winner, Mengyao Sun as Alternate, and Shanshan Xie with Honorable Mention.

Traian Sturza, bassoon student of Ronald Wirt, won the Senior Woodwind Competition, and Victor Hernandez, flute student of Andree Martin, won the Young Artist Woodwind Competition. CSU oboists Kristen Urbanski and Eder Rivera, students of Susan Tomkiewicz, were named Alternate and Honorable Mention in the same competition. Jared Cummings, saxophone student of Joseph Girard, also received Honorable Mention.

The Chamber Music Division awarded first place to the Schwob School String Quartet coached by Boris Abramov, consisting of Eric Tsai and Leah Bonas, violins; Mario Rivera, viola; and Max Frank, cello.

Named Alternate and Second Alternate in the Young Artist String Competition were Esther Holliday, cello student of Wendy Warner; Sophie Wang and Weiru Sheng, violin students of Sergiu Schwartz.

Additionally, violinist McClaran Hayes won Honorable Mention at Florida State Young Artist Strings MTNA Competition, and Schwob alumna Jeanette Luna won the Georgia Young Artist Voice Competition.