UM voice students 'strut' their vocal stuff

Attention all University of Montana students currently taking lessons with a voice faculty member: now’s your chance to use your pipes.

On March 17, undergraduate and graduate students alike will vie for a chance to win hundreds of dollars in the UM Vocal Arts Competition, held in the Music Recital Hall.

Anne Basinski, a UM voice professor and the event’s organizer, sees this as the UM’s own “in-house competition,” giving the students a chance to musically “strut their stuff.”

Basinski said the singers are divided into two categories: an undergraduate group (mainly comprised of juniors and seniors) and a graduate group.

Each performer is asked to have prepared two arias in their original languages and keys, one art song (also in the original language) and one musical language song. Of the four songs prepared, they will be asked to sing three.

“It really is a test of versatility,” Basinski said.

For participant Joel Wolcott, selecting what to sing is key to the performance.

“It’s really important to pick a song that suits your voice, that best displays what you have,” Wolcott said.

Wolcott, a senior in vocal performance, added that most competitors have several arias already in their repertoire, so a chance to display such hard work in a university setting is not just convenient for them, but also raises the report of the vocal performance community as well.

Dr. Catherine Capps, a faithful supporter of local arts, and Thomas Rickard are co-sponsoring the event. Since 2000, Capps has served as the competition’s most generous contributor of prize money – all of which she said comes out of her pocket.

The showcase was originally known as the Ciao Awards, and Capps began supporting the event through a desire to provide students the opportunity to perform various types of music without having to traveling across the country to various auditions.

“I wanted them to have a chance to sing their arias in front of their friends and families in a home setting,” Capps said. “It’s a very worthy cause.”

Basinski said she believes that aside from being a great means of preparation for later auditions, the competition offers audiences a look at the talent of UM’s vocal performance students.

“I hope that they (the audience) hear music that they enjoy and I hope that they’re interested in the experience of hearing these beautiful, young voices live in our recital hall with no amplification,” Basinski said.  “It can be pretty amazing.”

Performances start at 7:30 p.m. on March 17. Three winners will be announced in each category, with cash prizes of $500, $300, and $100. Applications for the competition are due March 12 in Anne Basinski’s office, Music Building Room 010.