Ouachita Stories

Elisabeth Hipp, a senior vocal performance major from Memphis, Tenn., placed first in Ouachita Baptist University’s recent Shambarger Competition for Singers. This is the third consecutive year Hipp has won the competition.

“This is the first time in the history of the competition that one student has won three years in a row,” said Dr. Glenda Secrest, Hipp’s singing teacher and OBU professor of music. “It is an incredible accomplishment, a true testimony to her fantastic work ethic—which really paid off!”

Hipp also acknowledged Secrest, saying, “I could not have done it without her. My whole tenure here at Ouachita, she has given me the tools to really go and succeed and excel. If it had not been for her, I would not have won these past three years. She is an incredible teacher.”

Hipp earned first place and a cash prize of $500 for her performance of “O luce di quest’anima” from Gaetano Donizetti’s opera Linda di chamounix.

The Shambarger Competition, established in 1999 in honor of OBU Professor Emerita of Music Mary Shambarger, features a repertoire that rotates annually among selections from musical theatre, art songs and arias from opera and oratorio. This year’s aria competition included 18 competitors from Ouachita’s vocal studies program.

“Being a part of Shambarger is really an honor,” Hipp said, “first of all because you really get to see the talent that I work with every day and people that I’m friends with. It really shows up in this competition because people work extremely hard to get their arias and pieces together.

“With arias, they take a lot more time to get in your voice,” she added. “Sometimes it just takes time to settle in and let the muscles figure everything out.”

Jacob Watson, a senior musical theatre major from Wynne, Ark., earned second place and $300 for his performance of “Dein ist mein ganzes herz” from Franz Lehár’s operetta Das Land des Lächelns. Watson is a student of Dr. Jon Secrest, professor of music and coordinator of vocal studies.

Maggie Taylor, a senior choral music education major from Russellville, Ark., earned third place and $200 for her performance of “Tu il cuor mi strazi” from Gioacchino Puccini’s opera Edgar. Taylor is a student of Mary Worthen, assistant professor of music.

Xavier Lagunas, a junior musical theatre major from Arlington, Texas, earned fourth place and $100 for his performance of “En ferment les yeux” from Jules Massenet’s opera Manon. Lagunas is a student of Dr. Glenda Secrest.

By Brooke Zimny