387 MTSU STUDENT REBECCA KING WINS ‘STUDENT’ CATEGORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 13, 2006
CONTACT: Tim Musselman (615) 898-2493

MTSU STUDENT REBECCA KING WINS ‘STUDENT’ CATEGORY
IN NATIONAL ORPHEUS VOCAL COMPETITITION AT MTSU

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU vocal student Rebecca B. King won the "Student" category Verdi Award of the national Orpheus Vocal Competition held March 4-5 in Hinton Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
King, a native of Jackson Tenn., is a junior vocal performance major in the McLean School of Music at MTSU and studies with voice professor, Dr. Christine Isley-Farmer.
"This was an exciting opportunity to compete at a national level with such talented singers and win this prestigious prize," King said.
King sang Il segreto per esser felici by Donizetti, Lied der Mignon by Schubert, Then shall the Eyes of the Blind/He shall feed His Flock from Handel's Messiah and The Duchess' Lullaby by Duke for the competition.
Open to vocal competitors on a national scale, this year's competition drew contestants from New York, Louisiana, Texas, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, Missouri, Michigan, Florida, Massachusetts and Tennessee.
Competitors are screened by taped submission and then by live competition. Singers compete in one of two categories: either Young Artist, which is for ages 25-30, or Student for vocalists ages 19-24. Cash prizes are awarded for each category. Seven cash prizes are awarded for the Young Artist category including the $2,500 grand prize. Six cash prizes are awarded for the student category including the $1,000 grand prize. Two scholarships are also awarded (one in each category) in addition to the cash prizes.
Adjudicators of this years Orpheus vocal Competition were John Kramar, professor of voice at East Carolina University and Assistant Director of Opera Chautauqua; John Keene, music director of LSU Opera; and Dee Ann Gorham, professor of voice at Texas A & M, Commerce.
Upon graduation from MTSU, King plans to attend graduate school and then enter a career as an opera singer.
For more information on King, please contact the McLean School of Music at 615-898-2493.
For more information on Orpheus Vocal Competition, visit its Web site at orpheusvocal.com or call 615-898-2849.


ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with King or a jpeg for editorial use, please contact Tim Musselman in the music school at MTSU at 615-898-2493.