Denton Back Society announces winners

Winners of the Denton Bach Society’s fourth annual Competition for Young Musicians were announced recently. 

Bruno Li of the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science in Denton, a student of Berthe Odnoposoff of Denton, took first place in the new piano division. Seula Lee of Hebron High School in Carrollton, playing violin, won the orchestral instruments division. Fort Worth baritone James Schilder, of Keller Central High School, won the vocal division.

Each winner received a $150 certificate from Pender’s Music, $150 from the Denton Bach Society and an opportunity to perform at a DBS event.

Laurel Miller, retired professor of voice at the University of North Texas and a former opera singer, and Jean Mainous, a Denton singer-pianist, coordinated the event. Judges were Rose Marie Chisholm, Monte Hill Davis, Susan Dubois, Harold Heiberg, Cecil Lotief, Mary Nan Mailman and John Scott.

Miller, who established the competition in 2005, believes that the event has multiple benefits for young musicians.

“Every competitor benefits from practicing the skills of auditioning,” she said. “The winners, of course, enjoy monetary rewards to further their study and also the chance to perform classical repertoire before an appreciative audience.”

The competition is open to high school students from 14 to 18 years old.

More information is available online at www.dentonbach.com .

— Staff report

Bronze beer brewer sculpture to be unveiled

Denton sculptor Paula Blincoe Collins unveils her second bronze work today in Dillon, Colo.

Collins typically works in brick and recently unveiled a public commission, Historic Quakertown, at the Denton Civic Center.

The bronze sculpture, Matt Luhr and his dog Syndy Lu, is at the Dillon Dam Brewery.

Luhr was an award-winning brewmaster who died suddenly of an aneurism last fall at the age of 46.

“Matt was beloved by all who knew him,” Collins said. “His co-workers and the owners of the restaurant, including my brother, at the brewery all contributed to have the memorial sculpture created.”

“During the time Matt was in the ICU, his beer entry in the Great American Beer Festival in Denver won the Gold [award]. His fiancee accepted the medal, and we added the medal around his neck in the sculpture,” Collins said.

The finished piece eventually will be placed in the Dillon Dam Brewery restaurant near Luhr’s brewing area — facing patrons entering the restaurant.

Other North Texas pieces by Collins include Woman of Justice, at the entrance of the Denton Police Station; Tina at Minke Field; and Prodigal Son-The Homecoming, at Trinity United Methodist.

— Staff report

UNT named best school at fifth annual show

The University of North Texas earned the Best School award for the second consecutive year — and the third time in five years — at the fifth annual National Student Show and Conference sponsored by the Dallas Society of Visual Communications. UNT students in the communication design program in the College of Visual Arts and Design also brought home individual awards and scholarships totaling more than $11,000.

The competition attracted 3,500 entries from colleges and universities in 28 states. The $1,000 Best School award went to the university whose students exhibited the highest quality of overall work. The visual communications society has more than 900 members.

UNT students winning portfolio awards were: Ashaun Epps, $2,000 Jump Start portfolio award; Stu Taylor, $3,000 Dick Sloan portfolio award; and Sean Leonard, the Padgett portfolio award, including an all-expense paid trip to the HOW International Design Conference in Austin.

“Best Use Of” awards went to: Sharon Lee, $1,500 Best Use of Type award; Leonard, $1,000 Best Use of Imagery award; and Patrick Snodgrass, $1,000 Best Use of Packaging award.

Judge Rex Peteet gave a $250 Judge’s Choice award to Lee for her “International Paper Annual Report.”

Best in Category awards, worth $150 apiece, were given to: Snodgrass, packaging; Barrett Fry, annual report; Leonard, advertising campaign; Jason Perez, advertising public service campaign; Zach Hale, illustration; art director Leonard, total campaign; and copy writer Dave Cox, total campaign.

Argyle students earn awards for one-act play

The Argyle High School Spotlight Players ensemble advanced to the University Interscholastic League regional contest with its one-act play Over the River and Through the Woods.

Several students earned awards throughout the season.

The Class 3A ensemble advanced to the district show, picking up acting and technical awards. Dane Sauceda was named best actor, and Julia Vickery, Michael Wolfe and Rachel Schermerhorn were named to the all-star cast. Baylor Morgan earned the best lighting technician award.

When the show advanced to the Area II, Region II contest, Sauceda picked up another best actor award, and Wolfe and Schermerhorn were named again to the all-star cast. Alex Robinson earned an all-star cast honorable mention.

When the show advanced to the Region II contest, Wolfe was named to the all-star cast and Sauceda was given an all-star cast honorable mention.

Richardson company cancels opera season

The global economic downturn has hit a North Texas performing arts organization.

The Living Opera, a Richard-son-based community opera company, announced that it will cancel its 2009 season.

The company has featured a number of students and graduates of the University of North Texas College of Music.

“As opera lovers throughout the United States know, the recession has already made 2009 a difficult season for opera companies, and many companies of long standing have closed their doors,” said Michael Collier, chairman of the opera board. “The Living Opera has not been spared. After a series of fundraising events, the board regretfully decided at its meeting on May 19 that there were insufficient funds to mount our 2009 season as planned, and we have therefore deferred our season until 2010. Our executive director, Adam Adolfo, has also been released from his contractual obligations with us.”