Webster Music Students Take Top Spots at CRESCENDO! Opera Program

Emma Wittenauer performs onstage.

Webster University voice students recently participated in CRESCENDO!, a collegiate enrichment program run by Union Avenue Opera. The program culminated on March 9 with a recital and scholarship presentation on the Union Avenue Opera stage.  

Sophomore Emma Wittenauer placed first. Wittenauer is majoring in vocal performance and is a voice student of Karen Kanakis. 
 
Junior Anna Edwards placed second. Edwards is majoring in vocal performance and is a voice student of Jacob Lassetter.

Anna Edwards sings onstage.
 
Webster students Allison Britt, Holly Connor, Jude Fernandez, Delanie Glover, Hana Hiromitsu, Olivia Knopf, Trinity Quayle and Audrey Sondag also participated in the program.  
 
Now in its ninth year, CRESCENDO! is a free, hands-on, performance-based training program developed to further the education of local artists still young in their careers as they prepare to join the St. Louis arts community.  
   
Webster University Department of Music faculty also participated in the program. Adjunct professors Nancy Mayo and Zach Neumann served as vocal coaches. Mayo also coached and played for the first and second place performances.   
 
Karen Kanakis, adjunct professor of music, and Jacob Lassetter, director of Vocal Studies and Opera Studio, taught masterclass. Lassetter also taught Italian diction and the third-place winner in masterclass.  
 
Martha J. Hart, former director of Vocal Studies, taught German and French diction.  
   
Scott Schoonover, conductor of the Webster Opera Studio January production, is the artistic director of Union Avenue Opera.   
   
For more information about Union Avenue Opera and the CRESCENDO! enrichment program, visit unionavenueopera.org.