By MATTHEW CHEATHAM | OBU News Bureau

The Division of Music in Ouachita Baptist University’s School of Performing Arts will host the Third Annual David Glaze Music Competition on Thursday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m. in McBeth Recital Hall. This event is free and open to the public.

The competition will showcase performances from five student musicians who made it past the preliminary rounds of video entries. All participants must be Ouachita students taking private lessons and pay a $30 entry fee to qualify. This year’s finalists, chosen from 18 entrants, are Katie McManus, a senior instrumental music education major from Buford, Ga.; Amaya Hardin, a junior musical theatre major from Little Rock, Ark.; Annslee Clay, a senior musical theatre major from Bryant, Ark.; Brandon Holloway, a junior vocal performance major from Little Rock, Ark.; and Andrew Pierce, a junior biology and music double major from Benton, Ark.

The panel of judges for the preliminary round consists of three Ouachita staff from the Mabee Fine Arts Center, ideally without a private lesson student. The judges for the final round of the competition, however, have no Ouachita affiliation. 

It was important to Dr. Candice Aipperspach, this year’s competition chair, to have a diverse panel of judges to represent the three major genres of vocal, string and piano. “Everyone is going to judge everybody, but to me, it is more fair that at least you know there will be someone in the room who is going to be able to accurately judge you and your expertise,” Dr. Aipperspach explained.

The David Glaze Music Competition is unlike any of the other music competitions held at Ouachita, making it a unique opportunity for student musicians. “It is the only competition we have that involves all of our applied lesson students. There is the Mary Shambarger Competition that is for vocalists, the McBeth Concerto Competition for instrumentalists and the Virginia Queen Competition for pianists,” Dr. Aipperspach said. “Anyone who is in applied lessons can apply for it, and they are competing against each other, which they never get to do. We are trying to make sure that the best of our best are showcased.”

The competition’s namesake and sponsor, David Glaze, earned a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance, a Bachelor of Music Education degree in choral music and Master of Music Education in choral music from Ouachita. Since graduation, he has performed as a guest piano soloist with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, the ASO Chamber Orchestra, Ballet Arkansas and the Little Rock Winds. Glaze has also been named the Arkansas Federation of Music Club’s Outstanding Church Musician of the Year. In addition to having a lengthy career resume, Glaze is also the founding conductor and artistic director of the River City Men’s Chorus, which has performed in Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Italy and Vatican City.

Destiny Diaz, a 2023 instrumental music education graduate from Malvern, Ark., won the inaugural competition in 2022. She said she hopes the congenial environment from previous years continues.

“It is important to have the correct mindset to maintain a healthy environment,” Diaz said. “I had a very positive experience and received lots of support from my fellow musicians.”

She added some practical advice for this year’s participants: “As you prepare your music, you should also take time to prepare your mind and your heart. Give it your best, learn through the experience and have fun! To God be the glory.”

To learn more about the David Glaze Music Competition at Ouachita, contact Dr. Candice Aipperspach at aipperspachc@obu.edu or at (870) 245-5131.