Barton Community College voice instructor Glenna Gaunt entered eight of her voice students in the Tabor Voice Festival on Saturday, Oct. 28, in Hillsboro. The vocal competition included the divisions of high school freshmen and sophomores, high school juniors and seniors, and college freshmen and sophomores, with the category of either classical or musical theater. Students were required to perform one memorized song in either of the disciplines.
The day offered singers the opportunity to receive feedback from a panel of three voice teachers and to advance through rounds of competition. Those rounds culminated in a finals recital with a cash prize of $100 for the winner of each division. Master classes on vocal performance and audition techniques were offered throughout the day.
Three of Gaunt’s students were selected to perform in vocal master classes during the event. Ethan Wedel and Katherine Snapp, both of Great Bend in the high school junior and senior division, and Paul Claassen of Wichita, in the college freshmen and sophomore division, worked with guest artist Dawn Neely of the University of West Georgia in various master classes.
Wedel and Snapp advanced to the finals in the high school junior and senior classical division and both performed in the finals recital. Wedel earned first place in his division, receiving the $100 prize and certificate.
Area participants in the Tabor Voice Festival included Karson Higgins of Great Bend, in the high school freshmen and sophomore classical division; Annelly Valdovinos, Katherine Snapp, Ethan Wedel, and Audrey Muth, all of Great Bend, in the junior and senior classical division; and Alize Garcia, Alyxsius Torres both of Great Bend, and Paul Claassen, of Wichita, in the college freshmen and sophomore classical division.