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Local singers to compete in NYC

Submitted by Utah Conservatory

Four young Park City women are traveling to the heart of New York City’s Broadway district to compete and study in Classical Singer Magazine’s yearly convention at the Time’s Square Marriott Marquis. The magazine boasts the largest competition and training convention for singers in the country. The four-day event includes competitions for qualifying high school, college, and graduate students throughout North America, along with a professional division that provides industry singers an opportunity to be evaluated by colleagues, network, and audition for symphonies and opera companies.

The event includes master classes and training seminars in each respective category, as well as a college fair for students interested in the nation’s leading undergraduate and graduate music and performing arts programs.

Additionally, convention attendees will attend special concerts, including a recital by opera and musical theatre headliner Dawn Upshaw and concerts by the attendees themselves, including winner’s concerts and salon events throughout the hotel.

Debra Cook, Managing Director of Utah Conservatory, will be accompanying the students to the event. With two of the girls from Park City High School and two returning from college programs, Cook and her husband, Dr. Fredric Cook, have worked with the singers over the past years and in their preparation for the competition. This is Utah Conservatory’s third consecutive year with students advancing to the national level of this competition.

Alexandra Marsh, who recently completed her freshman year at the Musical Theatre Program at Oklahoma City University, will be competing in the college division. Alexandra won second place at the regional level of the competition last year and was a finalist the previous year when she was still a high school student. She was also a finalist in the Texoma Region auditions for freshmen women at the National Association of Teacher’s of Singing Competition.

"Alexandra was able to meet the recruiters from Oklahoma City University during her first year in the competition. One of the recruiters heard her compete and it all led to a substantial four year scholarship to their prestigious program," says Debra. "We look forward to how the event will facilitate the other students in this critical process of finding the right fit for a student’s college career."

"The Classical Singer Competition is a phenomenal event that has provided me some incredible opportunities over the past few years, including the ability to travel to New York and Chicago," Alexandra says. "It’s a lot of fun and you can really learn a lot, not only about the many college programs, but about ways to improve. I am excited to travel with these really talented young women this year."

Eloise Johnson, a junior attending Smith College, will also be competing in the college division, and is looking forward to the many master classes and the opportunity to look at options for graduate school. "After traveling with the Conservatory last year to NYC for their week-long Broadway Showcase Camp, I had so much fun being immersed in productions that I am seriously considering graduate work in arts administration," she says.

Nicola Boyle, 17, a junior at Park City High School, will compete with three operatic pieces in the quarter-final rounds, along with Katie Fischer, also a 17-year-old junior at PCHS. Both Nicola and Katie have consistently received honors in the recent Con Brio Music Festival Vocal Competition and were repeat finalists in the Classical Singer Competition held at BYU for a four state region of contestants.

"I’m looking forward to investigating programs and faculty from the many Musical Theatre programs at the College Fair," says Katie, who wants to major in Musical Theatre. "There are many good programs out there, and I want find the ‘short-list’ of the ones to audition for in my senior year."

Utah Conservatory wishes its students all of their best as they ship out to represent Park City’s vocal talent on a national scene.


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