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It’s rare for students to compete at the national
level in unrelated categories, such as horn and composition.
But faculty emphasize the creation of new music at Mizzou,
which helped Katie Andres place second in both areas. Nic
Benner photo
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Double
Dipping
By Nancy Moen
Runner-up wasn’t the title Katie Andres was hoping for when
she competed in the finals of two national music competitions.
But by winning second place in both events, the senior majoring
in horn performance achieved
a rare distinction.
Andres placed second nationally in the Young
Artist Composition Competition and the Young Artist Brass Competition.
To get to that level, she already had won state and regional titles
in composing and performance.
Contest officials say students frequently
win awards in related categories, such as instrument solo and
ensemble competitions, but winning honors in unrelated categories
is rare. The Music Teachers National
Association directs the annual competitions, which concluded
in late March.
The irony of Andres’ second prize in
composition is that she wrote “Moodswings for Woodwind Quintet”
— her first composition — as a challenge from her
mentor, Professor Marcia
Spence. Andres finished second to a doctoral student who is
an experienced composer.
Spence wasn’t surprised by the success
of her standout French horn player from Bonne Terre, Mo. She had
been coaching and watching as Andres blossomed. “Katie demonstrated
what a university education can do for a student,” Spence
says.
As a performer, Andres plays some of the most
difficult horn literature in existence. For the national competition,
she played “Concertino Opus 45” for horn and piano
by Carl Maria von Weber. A tough multiphonics section of the piece
displayed Andres’ ability to play notes while singing several
different pitches at the same time to form chords.
The music she writes can be equally as challenging.
She particularly enjoys testing a performer’s ability to
handle the horn’s upper register, one of her own performance
strengths.
With the gift of perfect pitch, Andres accurately
hears the music in her head as she composes, and she strives to
write pieces that appeal to audiences. “It makes me feel
good that people enjoy my music. They can walk away singing a
melody,” she says.
In addition to the MTNA honors, Andres’
“Moodswings” won the Missouri
Sinquefield Composition Prize. The eight-minute piece comprises
five movements that reflect the mood of their titles: Obsessed,
Jovial, Optimistic, Despondent and Sardonic.
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Last Update:
March 12, 2007
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