15th annual Conrad Art Song winners announced

BOWLING GREEN, O.—Six singer-piano duos at Bowling Green State University’s College of Musical Arts won prizes at the 15th annual Dr. Marjorie Conrad Art Song Competition held earlier this month in Kobacker Hall of the Moore Musical Arts Center.

The competition encourages BGSU students to approach art song in a serious and intense manner. Monetary prizes include two first prizes of $1,500 each; two second prizes of $1,000 each, and two third prizes of $750 each.

In the undergraduate division, Amy Grams, a soprano from Medina, Ohio, and Xueli Liu, a pianist from the Jiulongpo District, Chongqing, China, took home first place. Richard Channell, Jr., a baritone from Canton, Ohio, and Xiangli Kong, a pianist from Guangdon Zhongshan, China, were awarded second place. Third place winners were Mckenzie Frazer, a soprano from Bryan, Ohio, and Iona Flonta from Cluj-Napuca, Romania, on the piano.

Graduate division first place winners were mezzo-soprano Patty Kramer of Sioux Falls, S.D., and pianist Emily Alley of Boverstown, Pa. Second place went to soprano Clair Chardon of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Alley. Xie Shao, tenor from Chengdu, China, and Xueli Liu, pianist from Chongqing, China, took home third place.

Judges for the competition were Michael Anders, professor of music and chair of the department of visual and performing arts at the University of Findlay; soprano Emily Benner, known for her work with the Toledo and Detroit Symphonies; Donna Hallen-Loewy, accompanist-in-residence at the College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, and tenor Stanford Olsen of the University of Michigan.

The event is named in honor of Dr. Marjorie Conrad, a longtime supporter of the musical arts at BGSU.