2013 Orpheus National Voice Competition
ECU students and alums placed well in the 2013 Orpheus National Voice Competition. Cera Finney won third place and the Orpheus Da Capo cash prize in the final round of the student category, Todd Barnhill won a cash encouragement award from the judges in the student category and Elizabeth Thompson (MM ’11) took fifth place and the Mozart cash prize in the final round of the young artist category. Semi-finalists from ECU included Emily Tucker, Jordan Winslow, Brenton O’Hara, and Scott Willis, as well as recent graduates Josh Allen (BM ’12) and John Charles Clark (MM ’12.) There were over 200 original applicants, narrowed down to 43 students, and 26 young artists in the semi-final round. The final round had eight students and eight young artists hailing from ECU, CCM, Eastman, University of Kentucky, Boston University, Indiana University, Vanderbilt, and several other fine schools. Finney and Tucker study with Jami Rhodes. Thompson, now a DMA student at University of Illinois, studied with John Kramar. Barnhill, O’Hara, Winslow, and Willis study with Kramar. Allen studied with Perry Smith. Clark graduated in 2012, is currently an adjunct faculty member in the voice department, and studied with Kramar.