CCM singers sweep Dayton vocal competition

Singers from the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music swept the awards at the Opera Guild of Dayton Tri-State College Vocal Competition, organizers announced today.

Andrea Shokery, a senior from Columbus, won first prize and $2,500, and was also the audience favorite, earning another $400. Soprano Katelyn Lee, a junior from Springfield, Mo., won second place and $1,500. CCM students Marshall Dean and Megan Aylward were finalists, winning $150 each.

All four students study with Barbara Paver at CCM.

The other finalists winning $150 each were Adam Cioffari from Indiana University and Alyssa Cox from Oberlin College. The six singers were winnowed from a field of 32.

The competition, now in its 20th year, was held in the NCR Renaissance Auditorium at the Dayton Art Institute. Judges were Thomas Bankston, general and artistic director of Dayton Opera; Andreas Melinat, artistic administrator of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Brian Horne, associate professor at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.