Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University junior Morgan Taylor was named this year’s winner of the W. Francis and Mary McBeth Wind and Percussion Concerto Competition on Dec. 8. She performed Pequeña Czarda by Pedro Iturralde with pianist Susan Monroe.

Taylor is a saxophone student of Dr. Caroline Taylor, and a music industry major from Hot Springs, Ark. As the winner, she received a $500 award she will be featured as a soloist with the Ouachita Wind Ensemble in the 2018 spring semester.

“The concerto competition is my favorite, though most stressful, time of the year,” Taylor said. “Winning this year was such an honor and shock because of all the incredibly talented musicians I was going up against. I now have the privilege to play my concerto piece with the wind ensemble in the spring, which is very exciting.”

Second place and a $300 award went to C.J. Slatton, saxophone, a junior music education major from Paragould, Ark. Third place and a $200 award went to Ashley Lovely, clarinet, a senior music education major from Val Alstyne, Texas.

Other students who competed in the concerto competition are: Andrew Lockhart, tenor saxophone, a junior worship arts major from Rogers, Ark.; Blake Turner, trumpet, a senior music education major from Fort Worth, Texas; and Sierra Westberg, alto saxophone, a junior music education major from Arkadelphia, Ark.

This is the 12th year for the annual competition, which features outstanding instrumental students from Ouachita Baptist University. It is sponsored by Mary McBeth in honor of her late husband, Dr. W. Francis McBeth, former Arkansas composer laureate and longtime professor of music at Ouachita.

For more information about the annual competition, contact Kristin Grant at [email protected] or (870) 245-5518.

Photo: The 2017 McBeth Concerto Competition winners (from left), Morgan Taylor, Ashley Lovely and C.J. Slatton are congratulated by Mary McBeth (second from right).