Student wins first place in emerging artist competition

A senior from LSMSA won first place in the youth division for vocal performance in the Marjorie Stricklin Emerging Artist Competition sponsored by the Monroe Symphony League.

Milan Arpino, a soprano from Monroe, sang two arias – Mozart’s “Das Veilchen” and “Quella Fiamma” by Francesco Conti.

Arpino is a vocal performance member of the Artist-in-Training program at LSMSA under the direction of Lisa Benner and has also studied with Dr. Claire Vangelisti at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

“I was very honored to have been able to participate in this competition,” said Arpino. “I enjoyed performing in the presence of Monroe friends and family that normally do not get to see me perform.”

The Emerging Artists Competition was founded in the late 1970s by the founder and then-conductor of the Monroe Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Richard Worthington.
Its sponsorship was later taken over by the Monroe Symphony League in collaboration with the School of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and named the Marjorie Stricklin Emerging Artist Competition.

The purpose of the competition is to promote and encourage excellence in musical performance and provide orchestral performance opportunities for youth and young adults.