Twelve New Jersey City University Department of Music, Dance and Theatre students placed in first, second, or third in the New Jersey National Association of Teachers of Singing, Inc. (NATS) 2013 Festival of Singing competition, which was held on February 16 at Rowan University.
The NJCU students were among more than 200 competitors from the Eastern region of NATS, which includes colleges and universities in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Quebec.
NJCU winners include: Latazha Jones of Newark, a freshman majoring in classical voice performance, second place in “Freshman Women”; Naomi Oritiz of Kearny, a sophomore majoring in music education, first place in “Sophomore Women”; Will Flaim of Leonia, a junior majoring in classical voice, first place in “Junior Men"; Thomas Walters of Summit, a junior majoring in classical voice, first place, and Kendell Bass of Jersey City, a senior majoring in classical voice performance, second place, in “Senior Men"; Ema Mitrovic of North Bergen, a 2011 alumna who majored in voice performance, first place, and Chivonne Perkins of Lawrenceville, a graduate student in classical voice, second place, in “Advanced Lower"; Andrew Darling of Irvington, a senior majoring in music, first place in “Advanced Upper”; Lawrence Dandridge of Newark, a junior majoring in musical theatre, first place in “Musical Theatre Lower”; and Samille Ganges of Bordentown, a senior majoring in musical theatre, first place, Angela Iannacone of Sparta, a graduate student in vocal performance with a concentration in musical theatre, second place, and Ashley Leone of Lodi, a junior majoring in musical theatre, third place, in “Musical Theatre Upper.”
Also at the competition, Ionna Tsakaloako, a graduate student in classical voice, was among the students selected to perform during a master class conducted by American mezzo-soprano Barbara Dever, an opera singer who has performed internationally with such luminaries as Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, Zubin Mehta, Nello Santi and James Levine.
Founded in 1944, NATS is the largest professional organization of teachers of singing in the world, representing 7,000 members in more than 25 countries.