Eastern Students to Participate in NATS Singing Auditions

Willimantic, CT (10/31/2017) — Written by Ed Osborn

More than 100 singers, including eight from Eastern Connecticut State University, will participate in this year's student auditions of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Connecticut Chapter on Nov. 5 at the University of Connecticut.

Singers in eight categories will perform and receive written feedback as part of NATS's longstanding tradition. NATS student auditions have been an integral part of the association, allowing singers to receive important evaluation and teachers the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with colleagues and hear a variety of musical styles through live performance.

Eastern students taking part in this year's day of singing and workshops include Michael Beckstein '18, baritone; Hannah Bythrow '18, soprano; Halie Poirier '18, soprano; Tiara Lussier '19, soprano; Ryan Michaud '19, baritone; Jordan Pollard '19, tenor; Austin Stone '19, tenor; and Sara Vega '19, soprano. The eight singers are students of Emily Riggs, associate professor of music at Eastern and president of the Connecticut Chapter of NATS.

Performances at this year's Connecticut Chapter Student Auditions begin at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. with the announcement of results. Advanced category auditions are open to the public and will run from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Admission is free. Prize money is offered to the top students from each category. All students who place or receive top honorable mention will be invited to perform in an awards recital on Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Western Connecticut State University.

A singer must be a student of a current NATS member in order to participate in NATS student auditions. The singer's participation category is determined by a variety of factors, including musical style, the amount of time they have studied voice, age and year in school. More than 80 NATS chapters hold NATS student auditions each year from the organization's 14 regions. Top performers have an opportunity to advance to the national round of auditions. To learn more about NATS Student Auditions, visit http://www.nats.org/national_student_auditions.html.

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About the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS):

Founded in 1944, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Inc. (NATS) is the largest professional association of teachers of singing in the world with more than 7,000 members in the United States, Canada and more than 30 other countries. NATS offers a variety of lifelong learning experiences to its members, with workshops, intern programs, master classes and conferences, all beginning at the chapter level and progressing to national events. Visit www.nats.org to learn more about NATS.

About Eastern Connecticut State University:

Eastern is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving more than 5,400 students annually at its Willimantic campus and satellite locations. In addition to attracting students from 163 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 20 other states and 29 other countries. A residential campus offering 39 majors and 65 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in an array of applied learning opportunities. Eastern has been awarded "Green Campus" status by the Princeton Review seven years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.