The 2021 Birmingham Music Club Guild Scholarship Auditions were held virtually this year. Forty-eight students entered the competition from 9 of our Alabama Universities (Auburn University, Jacksonville State University, University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Mobile, University of Montevallo, University of North Alabama, Samford University, and Troy University). Each student submitted video links of 3 contrasting works which were adjudicated by a panel of judges from colleges and universities from Georgia to Montana and in-between!
Awards were given in three categories: Piano, Instrumental, and Voice. First Place winners will receive $2,000, and Second Place winners, $1,500. In addition, the Walter Sechriest Best Performance Award was given for $1,000 for the overall winner. The scholarship awards will be used during the 2021-2022 academic year toward music studies at their respective Alabama Universities.
Julian Fiaschetti – Auburn University
Scholarship winners for this year:
INSTRUMENTAL
First Place: Julian Fiaschetti, clarinet, student of David Odom, Auburn University
Second Place: Matthew Mansour, percussion, student of Tracy Wiggins, University of North Alabama
Honorable Mention: Ashton Jah, saxophone, student of Jonathan Noffsinger, University of Alabama
Azalea Kelley – Troy University
PIANO
First Place and Overall Winner: Azalea Kelley, student of Hui-Ting Yang, Troy University
Second Place: Weixiang Peng, student of Yakov Kasman, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Honorable Mention: Samuel Gaines, student of Kevin Chance, University of Alabama
VOICE
Noah Graham – University of Alabama
First Place: Noah Graham, student of Alexis Davis-Hazell, University of Alabama
Second Place: Janie Clasgens, student of Tiffany Bostic-Brown, University of North Alabama
Honorable Mention: Joshua Giles, student of Charles Wood, University of Montevallo
Our judges this year:
INSTRUMENTAL
Margaret Baldridge, University of Montana
Sonja Giles, Iowa State University
PIANO
Caroline Oltmanns, Youngstown State University
David Viscoli, Minnesota State University, Mankato
VOICE
Anne Basinski, University of Montana
Nadine Cheek, Wesleyan College
