2018 Brown Music Competition winners announced
(Columbus, Indiana) Heritage Fund announces Columbus North High School seniors Machi Takeda and Joseph Robinson as the first-place winners in the 2018 Brown Music Competition held Saturday at First Christian Church.
Takeda, playing the trombone, placed first in the Betty F. Brown Awards for Instrumental Excellence, performing “Morceau Symphonique” by Guilmant. Robinson, a baritone, received first place in the Anna Newell Brown Awards for Vocal Excellence, singing “Psalm XXIII” by Creston and “Si, Tra I Ceppi” by Handel. Both students will receive a college scholarship in the amount of $3,500.
Photographed Above, Left to Right: Machi Takeda, Joseph Robinson
Also in the senior instrumental competition, Evan Porter received a second-place award of $2,000. Porter, playing alto saxophone, performed “Scaramouche” by Milhaud. Third-place honors and an award of $700 were presented to pianist Yijiang Zhao for her performance of “Lilacs” by Rachmaninoff. Violinists Kathryn Tuttle and Kotaro Hashizume received fourth-place awards of $400 for their performances of “Concerto in G Major” by Mozart and “Praeludium and Allegro” by Kreisler, respectively.
In the senior vocal competition, Ciaran Hill, a tenor, received second-place honors and an award of $1,500, performing “Sure on this shining night” by Barber and “In quegli anni” by Mozart. Third-place awards of $750 were presented to Erin Erickson, soprano, for “O Del Mio Dolce Ardor” by Gluck and “Solvejg’s Song” by Grieg and Pavithra Venkataraman, mezzo, for “Che faro senza Euridice” by Gluck and “Under the Willow Tree” by Barber. Baritone Todd Harris received a fourth-place award of $500 for “Deep River” arranged by Burleigh and “Preguntale a Las Estrellas” arranged by Kilenyi.
Ten seniors competed in the instrumental competition, and nine seniors participated in the vocal competition.
In the sophomore and junior competitions, 14 instrumentalists and 15 vocalists competed for scholarships for music lessons or music camps. Underclassmen winners were: Instrumentalists: Erica Song, receiving a $1,000 award; Alex Farrar receiving an $800 award; and Grace Wang, Juli Soda and Eli Heichelbech, each receiving $400 awards. Vocal: Grant Jackson and Erica Song, each receiving $550 awards; Joelle Schaibley, Leah Rodriguez, Claire Alderfer and Rosa Herndandez, each receiving $400 awards; and Joshua DeGroot, receiving a $300 award.
Judges for this event were: Instrumental: Mr. Dean Franke, adjunct faculty at the University of Indianapolis and violinist/founding member of Accord String Quartet and Icarus Ensemble; Dr. Ray Kilburn, associate professor of music, piano at Ball State University; and Ms. Shawn Goodman, adjunct instructor of music at IUPUI, associate instructor of music education at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and conductor and president of Symphonic Youth Orchestra of Greater Indianapolis. Vocal: Dr. Kathleen Hacker, professor of music and director of vocal studies at the University of Indianapolis; and Dr. Eric Stark, director of choral activities and professor of music at Butler University and artistic director of the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir.
The Betty F. Brown Awards for Instrumental Excellence was established by Mr. Brown in 1992 in memory of his wife, Betty. Mrs. Brown was a well-known and highly respected advocate and patron of the arts, both locally and statewide.
The Anna Newell Brown Awards for Vocal Excellence were established through the Heritage Fund in 1985 by Robert and Betty Brown to honor Mr. Brown's mother, Anna Newell Brown. She was a distinguished vocalist and contributed greatly to the cultural life of the Bartholomew County Community.
Robert N. Brown was the longtime chairman of Home News Enterprises, The Republic’s parent company. He also served as chairman of the Heritage Fund Board from 1980 to 1983, during which the foundation awarded its first grant – a $500 award for the Art in Public Places Program.
Both competitions are administered annually by Heritage Fund – The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County.