USD Voice Students Advance to National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition
Each student placed in the top five of their respective categories, qualifying them to advance to the national round of the competition.
Students from North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Manitoba and Saskatchewan submitted performance videos that were evaluated by a panel of judges.
USD students advancing to nationals include the following.
- Abby Beckler – First place in Upper Advanced Classical Treble, graduate student from Orange City, Iowa.
- Denisse Balandran – First place in Lower Advanced Classical Treble, Bachelor of Music in vocal performance ’24, from Vermillion, South Dakota.
- Trayden Goodman – First place in First Year Classical Tenor, Baritone and Bass (TBB), freshman from Akron, Iowa.
- Clara Norell – Second place in Lower Advanced Classical Treble, graduate student from Jackson, Tennessee.
- Maleah Wright – Third place in Upper Musical Theatre Treble, senior from Kearney, Nebraska.
- Michael Arriaza – Third place in second-year Classical TBB, sophomore from Schuyler, Nebraska.
The pianists for the USD singers included Jennifer Van Peursem, collaborative pianist, NATS Competition, piano accompanist; Eun-Hee Park, D.M.A., assistant professor in the Department of Music and Nicole Santos, student at USD.
Tracelyn Gesteland, D.M.A., professor of voice and opera in the Department of Music and the Walter A. and Lucy Yoshioka Buhler endowed chair, is the students’ voice professor.
"I am incredibly proud of my students for advancing to the national level of competition. Their dedication, hard work, and passion for music continue to inspire me every day. This achievement is a testament to their talent and perseverance, and I can't wait to see all that they accomplish in this competition and beyond,” said Gesteland.
The students will compete next in a national preliminary online round, followed by live semifinals and finals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in June.
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