2020 First Place Winners from left to right: Stephen Michaels, Tim Berry, Joseph O’Shea
2020 Overall Winner: Stephen Michaels
The 2020 Scholarship Auditions for The Guild of The Birmingham Music Club were held Saturday, March 7, 2020 at Birmingham-Southern College. The thirty-two applicants represented nine different Alabama colleges and universities: Alabama State University, Auburn University, Birmingham-Southern College, Samford University, University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Alabama in Huntsville, University of Mobile, and the University of Montevallo.
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 of $1,000 was awarded to the overall winner. The scholarship awards will be used during the 2020-2021 academic year toward music studies at their respective Alabama Universities.
Scholarship Winners for this year are:
INSTRUMENTAL
First Place & Overall Winner: Stephen Michaels, saxophone, University of Alabama (student of Jonathan Noffsinger)
Second Place: Sean Brown, violin, University of Alabama (student of Jenny Gregoire)
1st Honorable Mention: Ashton Jah, saxophone, University of Alabama (student of Jonathan Noffsinger)
2nd Honorable Mention: J.T. Holdbrooks, bassoon, University of Alabama (student of Jenny Mann)
3rd Honorable Mention: Zachary Chou, clarinet, University of Alabama at Birmingham (student of Denise Gainey)
VOICE
First Place: Joseph O’Shea, University of South Alabama (student of Thomas L. Rowell)
Second Place: Bradyn Debysingh, Samford University (student of Kristin Kenning)
Honorable Mention: Abigail Pauley, University of Mobile (student of Maryann Kyle)
PIANO
First Place: Tim Berry, University of Alabama (student of Kevin Chance)
Second Place: Weixiang Peng, University of Alabama at Birmingham (student of Yakov Kasman)
JUDGES
Instrumental Judges: Dr. Ariana Arcu from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and Kevin Fitzgerald, Assistant Conductor of the ASO
Piano Judges: Dr. Lucy DeSa from Alabama School of Fine Arts and Dr. Melody Ng from the University of Alabama in Huntsville
Voice Judges: Dr. Jeffrey Kensmoe from Birmingham-Southern College and Dr. Christopher O’Rear from Tuscaloosa
