Recent Townsend School of Music graduate Mary Brooke Quarles placed fourth in a recent singing competition in Chicago sponsored by Classical Singer Magazine. Quarles, who earned her Bachelor of Music degree in performance in May, competed in the university division for singers aged 18-25. The competition was held at the Classical Singer Convention ’09, which featured competitions for promising high school and college-aged singers. For placing fourth, she won a recording session, her own Web site, a scholarship offer, $50 gift certificate to Classical Singer bookstore and a year’s subscription to Classical Singer Magazine.
Quarles, of Augusta, made it through several successive rounds among a field of more than 300 other music students from across the nation. Eventually, she sang in the final round with the five other performers. The first place winner was a master's-level student.
“It was truly an amazing experience,” Quarles said.
Following the competition, Quarles travelled to the University of Houston to study at the Bel Canto Institute of the Texas Music Festival. She studied a Bel Canto aria for two weeks under coaches Ted Taylor, Kathy Kelly, Russell Young, Joseph Evans and Melanie Sonnenberg. She performed the aria in a recital setting at the end of the week.
“I learned so much about not only Bel Canto opera, but my own singing as well,” she said.
Quarles will be auditioning for the Atlanta Opera Chorus and hopes to spend a year performing in Atlanta while continuing her lessons. She plans to go to graduate school in Fall 2010.
