Shenandoah Conservatory announces the winners of the 2021/22 Student Soloists Competition (SSC) on behalf of the SSC committee. The final round of the competition was held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 23, in Armstrong Concert Hall.

Pictured left to right: Peter Mattson(Category I Instrumental), Bailey Kinsella and Grace Frame (Category I Vocal/Choral), Sarah McMichen (Category II Instrumental), Gabriella Pisacreta (Category II Vocal/Choral) and Szymon Czerniak (Category II Keyboard).

Category I – Undergraduate

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Instrumental Division Winner

Peter Mattson, clarinet

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Vocal/Choral Division Winners

Bailey Kinsella, soprano

Grace Frame, soprano

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Category II – Graduate

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Instrumental Division Winner

Sarah McMichen, clarinet

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Vocal/Choral Division Winner

Gabriella Pisacreta, soprano

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Keyboard Division Winner

Szymon Czerniak, piano

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Honorable Mention

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Category I – Undergraduate

Jalen Mims, clarinet

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Category II – Graduate

David Lecuyer, piano

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Winners of this year’s competition will be featured in a performance with the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022.

Participants performed in preliminary and semifinal rounds judged by the 2021/22 SSC Committee, which featured Shenandoah Conservatory faculty representatives from the Instrumental, Keyboard and Vocal/Choral Divisions, as well as Director of Orchestral Studies, Conductor, Chair of Instrumental Division and Professor of Conducting Jan Wagner, who also serves as SCC Committee chair. The final round was adjudicated by an all-external jury comprising head of the piano area at the Rome School of Music, Drama and Art at The Catholic University of America Qing Dr. Ivo Kaltchev (Keyboard Division representative); music director of the Post Classical Ensemble in Washington, D.C., principal guest conductor of the Perspectives Ensemble in New York and music director of the Georgetown University Orchestra, in Washington, D.C., Ángel Gil-Ordóñez (Instrumental Division representative); and artistic and music director of the Annapolis Opera and director of the Maryland Opera Studio Craig Keir (Vocal/Choral Division representative).

2021/22 Student Soloists Competition Committee

Jan Wagner, SSC Chair

Director of Orchestral Studies; Conductor; Chair of Instrumental Division; Professor of Conducting

Garrick Zoeter, SSC Instrumental Division Representative

Anna Lee van Buren Endowed Chair in Clarinet, Coordinator of Winds and Percussion, Professor of Clarinet

Fotina Naumenko, SSC Vocal/Choral Division Representative

Assistant Professor of Voice (Soprano)

John O’Conor, SSC Keyboard Division Representative

Distinguished Artist-in-Residence; Chair of Keyboard Division; Professor, Piano

2021/22 Guest Final Jury

Dr. Ivo Kaltchev, Keyboard Division Representative

Head of the Piano Area at The Rome School of Music, Drama and Art at The Catholic University of America

Ángel Gil-Ordóñez, Instrumental Division Representative

Music Director Post Classical Ensemble DC, Principal Guest Conductor, Perspectives Ensemble, NY, Music Director, Georgetown University Orchestra, D.C.

Craig Keir, Vocal/Choral Division Representative

Artistic and Music Director of the Annapolis Opera, Director of Maryland Opera Studio

About the Winners

Clarinetist Peter Mattson ’23 is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Performance and studying with Anna Lee van Buren Endowed Chair in Clarinet, Coordinator of Winds and Percussion, Professor of Clarinet Garrick Zoeter, M.M.

Soprano Bailey Kinsella ’23 is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and studying with Associate Professor of Voice (Tenor) Michael Forest ’85, ’86, M.M.Ed.

Soprano Grace Frame ’23 is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and studying with Associate Professor of Voice (Tenor) Michael Forest ’85, ’86, M.M.Ed.

Clarinetist Jalen Mims ’23 is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Performance and studying with Anna Lee van Buren Endowed Chair in Clarinet, Coordinator of Winds and Percussion, Professor of Clarinet Garrick Zoeter, M.M.

Clarinetist Sarah McMichen ’24 is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance and studying with Anna Lee van Buren Endowed Chair in Clarinet, Coordinator of Winds and Percussion, Professor of Clarinet Garrick Zoeter, M.M.

Soprano Gabriella Pisacreta ’22 is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Performance and studying with Assistant Professor of Voice (Soprano) Fotina Naumenko, D.M.A.

Pianist Szymon Czerniak ’24 is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance and studying with Distinguished Artist-in-Residence, Chair of Keyboard Division and Professor of Piano John O’Conor, Mus.D.

Pianist David Lecuyer ’23 is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Performance and studies with Distinguished Artist-in-Residence, Chair of Keyboard Division and Professor of Piano John O’Conor, Mus.D.