Music Majors Placed in Vocal Competition

Friday, November 13, 2009

Westminster College music students Claudia Brown and Alexandra Patterson placed in the annual Tri-State Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) vocal competition Oct. 31 at the Civic Light Opera Academy of Musical Theater in Pittsburgh.

Over 140 vocalists competed in either classical or musical theater in high school, college, and adult divisions.

Brown, who studies with Westminster adjunct music faculty Janet Kane, placed second in the classical category for college senior women. A sacred music and music education major, Brown is a daughter of Ronald Brown of Pittsburgh and Gaynelle Shepherd of Sierra Vista, Ariz. She is a graduate of North Hills High School.

Patterson, who studies with Dr. Anne Hagan Bentz, Westminster associate professor of music and president of Tri-State NATS, placed third in the classical category for college freshman women. A music performance major, Patterson is a daughter of Laurence and Laurette Patterson of Saxonburg and a graduate of Knoch High School.

Also participating in the competition from Westminster was Alicia Pabrinkis, who studies with Kane. Pabrinkis, a sophomore music education major, is a daughter of Karen Dodson of Pittsford, N.Y., and John Pabrinkis of Rochester, N.Y. She is a graduate of Pittsford Mendon High School.

Contact Bentz at (724) 946-6045 or e-mail bentzah@westminster.edu for more information.

About Westminster College...
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College is a top tier liberal arts college and a national leader in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Guide to America's Best Colleges. Westminster ranked third among liberal arts colleges in social mobility, according to the Washington Monthly College Guide, and is one of the most affordable national liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania. Westminster is also honored as one of "The Best 371 Colleges" and "Best in the Northeast" by The Princeton Review, and is named to the President's Honor Roll for excellence in service learning.

Nearly 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students benefit from individualized attention from dedicated faculty while choosing from 41 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa., campus. Visit www.westminster.edu/advantage to view "Advantage: Westminster" A Strategic Plan 2010-2020.