Multiple Hope students have earned honors during recent regional singing competitions.
Five students received recognition, including two first-place awards, during the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Great Lakes Regional Competition, held at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, on Saturday, March 6. Two of the students had previously been named finalists in the Opera Grand Rapids Collegiate Vocal Competition held at the Betty Van Andel Opera Center in Grand Rapids on Friday, Feb. 26.
In the NATS event, senior Briana Sosenheimer of Fort Wayne, Ind., took first place in the College Senior Women Division and also received the Jessye Norman Award for the outstanding Junior/Senior Woman. Junior Angelee Garcia of Belmont took first place in the College Junior-Senior Musical Theatre Division. Senior Ross Green of Plainwell took second place in the College Senior Men Division. Junior Sarah Ashcroft of Holland took second place in the College Junior Women Division. Sophomore Caitlin McDougall of Flint received honorable mention in the College Sophomore Women Division.
Ashcroft and Green were among the six singers named finalists in the Opera Grand Rapids Collegiate Vocal Competition. They and the other finalists will compete in a concert on Sunday, April 18, at 7 p.m. at the Betty Van Andel Opera Center. The concert is open to the public.
The regional NATS competition included singers from Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Ontario, Canada. The Opera Grand Rapids Collegiate Vocal Competition is open to full-time students at Aquinas College, Calvin College, Cornerstone University, Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Valley State University, Hope College and Muskegon Community College.
All of the students study with Linda LeFever Dykstra, who is an associate professor of music and chairs the voice division at Hope. Jennifer Wolfe, adjunct assistant professor of music, served as the students' accompanist during the NATS event.