Concertos anyone?

Last Thursday, five students competed for the chance to perform a featured concerto or aria in the Orchestra's spring concert.

Eric Guttormson (cello), Jonathan Keener (piano), Michael Dezort (baritone), Kristen Swartley (flute) and April Miller (oboe) performed selections in the Recital Hall beginning at 12:10 p.m. Music faculty selected Keener, Dezort, and Miller to perform their pieces in the March 31 concert.

Students were notified last fall about the plans to choose one pianist, one vocalist and one instrumentalist. Only EMU students studying privately with an EMU music faculty were eligible.

Students were judged according to preparation, confidence, performance level, expression, and basic skills. Although only one vocalist and one pianist entered the competition, music professor Joan Griffing said that if their performances had been poor, they would not have been chosen.

According to Griffing, the competition gives students a unique opportunity to perform pieces as composers intended and to learn new performance skills.