Mukhametzhanova '26 Wins District Competition, Sets Sights on Nationals
- Arts
Shattuck- St. Mary’s Vocal Performance Center of excellence member Adelina Mukhametzhanova ’26 won the West Central Division Music Teachers National Association Senior Performance Competition this past weekend. She will now advance to the national competition in Reno, NV March 25-29.
The MTNA National Conference is the premier music competition in the country. It features events in the categories of brass, piano, piano duet, string, voice, and woodwind. According to the MTNA website, “Each year, thousands of students compete for top prizes and national recognition. The purpose of the Music Teachers National Association Performance competitions is to provide educational experiences for students and teachers and to recognize exceptionally talented young artists and their teachers in their pursuit of musical excellence.”
The application process was rigorous beginning with Adelina submitting four recordings last fall for the Minnesota state competition. From there, she advanced to the divisional round, where she took first place. She is one of just six divisional winners from around the country who will compete at nationals in March.
SSM Vocal Performance Program director Peter Schleif had high praises for the young prodigy. “Adelina came to us with a wealth of experience, and has only improved from there,” said Schleif. “She has an exceptional work ethic, is very coachable, and has a bright future ahead of her. She is an absolute joy to work with and has had an incredibly positive impact on the VPP in a very short period of time.”
This marks the second major competition win at SSM for Adelina, who also took home top honors at the Minnesota NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) vocal competition this fall, becoming the first Sabre to win first place at the event.
- VPP