Michael Sommerfeld advanced to the Music Teachers National Association regional competition by claiming first place during the brass category, Young Artist division of the state MTNA event Oct. 24 at Maranatha.
Sommerfeld, a senior trombone performance major from Wheaton, Illinois, will advance to the East Central regional competition Jan. 15-17 at UW-Stevens Point. The national competition will be March 20-24 in Albuquerque.
Michal Lancaster, a junior horn performance major from Chicago, was named an alternate for the regional event. Will Brown, a sophomore music education major from Watertown, was honorable mention. Brown was the state winner in 2008.
Sommerfeld and Brown are students of Maranatha music professor Dr. David Brown. Lancaster is a student of Mike Quint.
--Posted Oct. 27, 2009
The focus of Wisconsin’s musical scene will be on Watertown for one day this fall.
Maranatha will host the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) state performance competition Oct. 24. Young musicians from all over Wisconsin will fill Old Main as they attempt to advance to regional competition in three age divisions of piano, voice, strings, woodwinds, and brass.
“This will bring our people shoulder-to-shoulder with fine musicians from all over the state,” Fine Arts Department Chair Dr. David Ledgerwood said. “It really puts us in the mainstream of what’s going on.”
Music faculty member Dr. David Brown proposed last year that the site be moved from the University of Wisconsin. The MTNA competition dates back to 1963.
“It will bring some very high-caliber adjudicators onto our campus,” said Brown (right). “The caliber of musicians at the regional competition last year was mind-boggling. Some of them could have been judging instead of competing.”
The performances will be open to the public, Brown said. Competition venues will include Fine Arts Hall, Burckart Hall, and Alumni Hall.
State champions advance to the East Central regional competition Jan. 15-17 at UW-Stevens Point. The national competition will be March 20-24 in Albuquerque.
Some Maranatha students will take part in the Young Artist division (ages 19-26). One of them, trombone player Will Brown (son of David Brown), won the state brass category last year. Will Brown advanced to the regional competition at Oberlin College, won by tuba player Nick Adrenga from Michigan. Adrenga finished second at the national competition.
“It is pretty early in the school year to get together a half-hour worth of music to perform,” David Brown said. “But it can serve as double duty for someone who has a recital coming up. And, at the national level, the prizes are very substantial.”
Posted 9-15-09