Voice Students Compete in NATS National Semifinal Auditions
Two UNC Charlotte voice students, Reem Nour and Jack Richardson, were national semifinalists in the National Association of Teachers of Singing auditions this summer. Founded in 1944, National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) is the largest professional association of teachers of singing in the world, with more than 7,000 members in the United States, Canada, and more than 35 other countries.
Nour and Richardson traveled with voice professor Christina Pier to Philadelphia, where the NATS semifinal and final auditions took place June 26-28 at Temple University. This year, NATS welcomed 459 student singers to the national semifinals. To become a semifinalist, student singers advanced through multiple audition levels, representing the top 15 performers in their age and training level from nearly 1,200 national preliminary entries.
“It was exhilarating to see Reem and Jack deliver in an arena where the bar is set extraordinarily high,” said Pier. “Moments like these remind us why we devote ourselves to the hard work in the studio, and how fortunate we are to be part of a community that supports opportunities for our students to realize the full measure of their talent.”
Both students are pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree, with a concentration in vocal performance, and the Certificate in Musical Theatre. Nour is in Pier’s vocal studio; Richardson is a student of Professor of Voice Brian Arreola.
Prior to the national semifinals, several UNC Charlotte music students participated in the state and regional auditions with great success. In addition to Nour and Richardson’s achievements in the Musical Theater category, the Department of Music celebrated the following placements in the Mid-Atlantic Regionals, which represents singers from North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
Classical Auditions
• 1st Place, Second Year Post High School Classical – Treble Voice: Taylor McNamara, student of Susan Gouthro
• 2nd Place, Third Year Post-High School Upper Classical – TBB Voice: Jack Richardson, student of Brian Arreola
Musical Theater Auditions
• 1st Place, Third Year Post-High School Musical Theatre – Treble Voice: Jylian Taylor, student of Christina Pier
“These students sacrificed part of their spring break to attend Regionals and record preliminary round auditions,” Pier said. “We are proud of every student’s triumph and the collective success of our voice area. Congratulations to our voice and MT Workshop faculty, and much gratitude to department pianist Claudio Oliveira for his vital support with both in-person and recorded auditions.”
UNC Charlotte will host the North Carolina NATS Musical Theatre auditions this November.
Pictured top, voice professor Christina Pier and students Reem Nour and Jack Richardson in Philadelphia.