26
March
2019
|
16:15 PM
America/Chicago

Music Majors Place at Regional Competition

The students all pose with Dr. Brady Knapp in the middle.Seven UST Music majors competed at the Greater Houston National Association of Teachers of Singing (GHNATS) Classical Auditions Sat., March 23. Five progressed to finals and one to semi-finals of this regional competition, held at the University of Houston Moores School of Music.

UST competed against students from Sam Houston State University, Houston Baptist University, Lamar University, Prairie View A&M University and local community colleges.

In the Collegiate Freshman Men, Eduardo Katoul Rahbani placed first. Chase Duffin placed third in Senior Men. Sophomore Claire Mullan was a semi-finalist for the Sophomore Women. Undergraduate Diana Struve also participated in the regional tournament.

In the Graduate Men, Max Mullenax won second place. In the Advanced Graduate Division, MLA student Mohammad Salman placed third. Master of Sacred Music student Vawn Gretta Stearnes was Honorable Mention.

Professor Jasmine Hatem, UST piano faculty, accompanied all seven students. In addition, Brady Knapp, chair of music and director of Vocal and Choral Studies, served as a judge for the high school division of the tournament.

“I am very proud of our students,” Brady Knapp said. “They represented us very well today.”

Unlike larger universities, UST Music majors have multiple solo and small ensemble performance opportunities every semester, starting their freshman year. With rigorous training in choral, operatic and instrumental music, students explore the rich and diverse sweep of ancient and modern Western music from both sacred and secular traditions.

By integrating musical, liturgical and pastoral dimensions into the program, the Master of Sacred Music gives students a professional foundation of liturgical music as a ministry. The MSM prepares graduates for work with priests, pastors and congregations, as well as for teaching.