BYU music students competed in the final round of the Young Artists of Voice competition for the title of Singer of the Year on Saturday, Jan. 18.
After two rounds of the competition on Jan. 14 and 16, eight students were selected to compete in the final round of the competition.
“I didn’t expect to make the final round at all,” said Ashley Stewart, an undergraduate in the BYU music program. “I’m just a sophomore, so this is all very new.”
This annual competition was an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students alike to perform a repertoire of songs they had worked on during the semester.
Each student walked onto the stage, introduced themselves and sang three pieces they had prepared. Students sang in multiple languages including English, Portuguese, Italian and French.
This year’s winner, McKenzie Mulberry, is a graduate student in the BYU music program. Mulberry has competed in this competition since she was eligible as a sophomore. Now, in her second semester as a master’s student, she was surprised to hear her name announced as the Singer of the Year.
“I’m feeling really just ecstatic and proud of myself and grateful to my teacher. She has helped me a lot,” Mulberry said.
Jennifer Youngs, an assistant professor in the School of Music, has been one of Mulberry's teachers since she started in the program at BYU. Youngs loved to see how much Mulberry has progressed over the years.
“She was one of my very first students,” Youngs said. “She worked with me all during her undergrad and she’s in her first year of master's now, and she is continuing with me, so we’ve worked together for five years.”
Youngs said that McKenzie made it to the final round multiple times in previous Young Artists of Voice competitions but never placed during the awards ceremony.
“As her type of soprano, you have to wait till your voice gets bigger,” said Youngs. “You have to wait until you mature a little bit.”
Sydney Crandall, an audience member and student in the BYU Music department, enjoyed watching her peers perform.
“They are stunning as always,” Crandall said. “They constantly blow me away every time they sing.”
To find more information on upcoming music events, go to the BYU School of Music website.