CNU student wins statewide vocal competition

(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.) — Christopher Newport University freshman vocal performance major Jake Mills won first place in the freshmen men category in the spring vocal auditions at the state competition of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, March 3-4 at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Va.

Mills, a student of Christopher Mooney, professor of voice at CNU, competed along with 14 other singers from colleges and universities from around the state. Each singer prepared three musical selections, and Mills prepared arias and songs by Mozart, Purcell and Dowland.

Not only did Mills win his category, but he also was the only singer out of his group to receive an honors classification, scoring an average of 28.8. He performed “Se vuol Ballare,” an aria from The Marriage of Figaro by W.A. Mozart in the honors recital for the entire convention.

Mills, who is from the Fredericksburg, Va., area, will go on to compete at the regional National Association of Teachers of Singing conference on April 8 in Raleigh, N.C..