The University of Toledo

UT Music Students Earn Honors, Pursue Graduate School

Emily Holsclaw

A number of students and former students of The University of Toledo Department of Music have received awards or have been accepted to graduate schools. Sasha Noori, tenor, senior Bachelor of Music Education major in Voice, won second prize in the Senior Men Category at the National Association of Teachers of Singing Regional Auditions, held at Bowling Green State University this month.  

Professor of Voice, Dr. Barbara Rondelli-Perry said, "Voice students from music schools and conservatories of music of colleges and universities throughout Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario Province in Canada compete for prizes, and it is quite prestigious to become a prizewinner in these auditions."

Sam Mason, tenor, a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Music Education degree in Voice, won Honorable Mention in these same auditions at BGSU, in the Junior Men Category. UT piano faculty member,  Robert Ballinger, served as the piano accompanist for these two prizewinners and other voice students in the auditions in Bowling Green.

Several students and former students have been accepted to a number of graduate programs. Emily Holsclaw, a soprano who received her BME in Voice (2008) from UT, has just been accepted into the Indiana University School of Music, in the Performance Diploma Program.  Emi is just finishing her Masters in Vocal Performance at the Ohio State University, where two years ago she was awarded their highest Fellowship.

Sam Mason (tenor), Dusty Selman (baritone), and Scott Knueven (tenor), all of whom are majoring in Music Education--Voice, have all been accepted to BGSU for the Masters in Vocal Performance program.

Janet Taylor, a soprano who completed her Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance at UT in 2010, has been accepted into the doctoral program in Music at Iowa State.

Congratulations to each of these students on their outstanding achievements!