National Association of Teachers of Singing
Colorado & Wyoming Chapter

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NATS Artist Award Competition 2008

Fourteen singers competed in the CO/WY preliminary round at CU-Boulder on March 1, 2008. Singers had prepared 16 art songs, an oratorio aria, and an opera aria. Our top three singers advanced to the regional finals in at Wichita State University (KS) on March 30, 2008, where our very own Emily Murdock took first prize! Emily and her pianist, Sara Parkinson, will represent the West Central Region at the NATSAA National Finals at the NATS 50th National Convention in Nashville in late June.

What is NATSAA?

The NATSAA competition is designed to assist singers prepared to launch a professional career, and to that end substantial monetary and performance prizes are offered. The competition takes place every other year, in conjunction with NATS Conferences. Preliminary competitions are held regionally, and semifinals/finals take place at the NATS Conference.

"Throughout its history the purpose of this [NATSAA] competition has been to select, through a series of elimination rounds on the district, regional, and national levels, singers whose artistry indicates that they are ready for a professional career and to encourage them toward that goal with a cash prize and the opportunity for performance engagements."
--Edward Baird, President of NATS, 1985-1987

	Emily Murdock is originally from the small town of Whitefish, Montana. A 2004 graduate of the University of Montana with degrees in voice and flute performance, Emily has just graduated with her Master of Music in Voice Performance degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her teacher is mezzo-soprano Julie Simson. During her graduate studies, Emily appeared with the University of Colorado Opera Theater as Susanna in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, Lucia in Britten's The Rape of Lucretia, Papagena in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Amor in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, Kitty Hart in the university premiere of Jake Heggie's opera Dead Man Walking, and Adele in Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss. Other operatic experiences include Phyllis in Iolanthe with Colorado Light Opera, the cover of Nellie Forbush in South Pacific with Colorado Light Opera, and Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute with the University of Montana Opera Theater. Emily has appeared twice with the Glacier Symphony in Montana singing the soprano solo in Handel's Messiah and Mozart's Exsultate, jubilate, and has also sung with the Butte Symphony Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Mozart's Coronation Mass. She was a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2004 and a National Finalist in the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Competition in 2005. Summer plans include singing in the national round of the NATS Artist Award competition in Nashville, Tennessee. In August, she will be traveling to Leibnitz, Austria, to sing with LIED Austria, a program focusing on the relationship of text and music in German lieder. Now that she has finished her graduate studies, Emily plans to keep learning, pursue a career in opera, and focus on bringing art music to rural areas.
	Equally respected in performance and scholarship, tenor Robert Glaubitz aims to convey the full artistry of the vocal instrument. The combination of his beautiful phrasing with thoughtful word delivery shows his commitment to song as communication. He is well regarded for his versatility and musicality, performing in opera, operetta, musical, oratorio, and art song across the United States. Robert has appeared in dozens of performances in Colorado ranging from opera productions to recitals and concerts. He was a member of the vocal faculty of Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, from 2003 to 2005. He is a member of the Conundrum Duo with guitarist Carey Harwood, which has performed at the New York City Duo Fest and the Colorado Mahlerfest and has toured along the East Coast and the upper Midwest. In February 2007, the Conundrum Duo won both first place and "Audience Favorite" at the prestigious Bruce Ekstrand Competition. Robert is best known for creating and maintaining The Aria Database, an award-winning and well-known website containing an online database of information on more than 1000 operatic arias. The Aria Database has been featured on Australian Public Radio, The New York Times, and has garnered numerous awards. He recently completed his doctoral degree at the University of Colorado.
	Clayton Okaly, baritone, is originally from Whitehouse Station, NJ. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Delaware with a BM in Voice Performance in 2006, and will graduate with his MM in Performance/Pedagogy the University of Colorado at Boulder in May 2008. Credits include Papageno in The Magic Flute, Parson in Cunning Little Vixen, Chino in West Side Story, and soloist for Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill: A Musical Voyage and Mozart's Requiem. Mr. Okaly has received numerous scholarships and awards such as Delaware Contest for Young Musicians (Lillian Ballick Memorial Award), and placed first in NATS Eastern Region Auditions.

Congratulations! We are proud of you!