2020 Brown Music Competition Winners Announced
Heritage Fund announces Columbus North High School seniors Erica Song and Grant Jackson as the first-place winners in the 2020 Brown Music Competition held Saturday at First Christian Church.
Song, playing piano, placed first in the Betty F. Brown Awards for Instrumental Excellence, performing “Impromptu, Op. 51, No. 3” by Chopin. Jackson, a baritone, received first place in the Anna Newell Brown Awards for Vocal Excellence, singing “Bois Épais” by Lully and “The Jolly Roger” by Robertson. Both students will receive a college scholarship in the amount of $3,500.
Also in the senior instrumental competition, Grace Wang received a second-place award of $2,000. Wang performed “Impromptu, No. 2 in E-Flat Major” by Schubert on piano. Third-place honors of $1,500 went to Gabrielle Lifferth, performing “Sonata, Op. 79” by Beethoven on piano.
In the senior vocal competition, tenor Joshua DeGroot received the second-place award of $1,500, performing “Si, tra I ceppi” by Handel and “Orpheus with his Lute” by Schuman. Lily Voelz, mezzo, received a $1,000 award for her third-place performance of “O del mio dolce ardor” by von Gluck and “The Buckle” by Bliss. Mezzo Molly Nelson received a $500 fourth-place award for “He Shall Feed His Flock” by Handel and “Voi Che Sapete” by Mozart. Sopranos Claire Alderfer (“Per la gloria d’adorarvi,” Bononcini; “Into the Night,” Edwards) and Joelle Schaibley (“My Johann,” Grieg; “Nuit d’étoiles,” Debussy”) each received fifth-place awards of $250.
Five seniors competed in the instrumental competition, and 14 seniors participated in the vocal competition.
In the sophomore and junior competitions, 10 instrumentalists and seven vocalists competed for scholarships for music lessons or music camps. Underclassmen winners were: Instrumentalists: Matthew Liu and Saylor Lancaster, receiving $1,100 awards; and Minjung Kim receiving an $800 award. Vocalists: Lillie Tickel, receiving a $1,000 award; Olivia Gray and Sofia Martinez, receiving $750; and Reagan Lykins, receiving a $500 award.
Judges for this event were: Mr. Dean Franke, violinist, assistant concertmaster, retired Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra; Dr. Ray Kilburn, associate professor of music, piano, Ball State University; Ms. Kathryn Lukas, professor of music, flute, Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University; Ms. Mary Ann Hart, professor of voice, Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University; Dr. Kerry Jennings, voice area coordinator/director of opera, associate professor of voice, DePauw University; Mr. Thomas Studebaker, artist faculty, Roosevelt University, Chicago.
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.