Wendell Irish Viola Award

Arkansas student Tressa Tiner was the first place recipient of the AR state Wendell Irish Viola Award and the South Central Region Wendell Irish Viola Award.

The Wendell Irish Viola Award is a youth competition for ages 12-19. It was established by Mr. and Mrs. Wilmot Irish of Ithaca, New York in memory of their son.

Tressa Tiner, is the 17-year-old daughter of Jack and Janine Tiner, and the granddaughter of the late Jack Tiner, Sr. and Irene Tiner, and of Byron and Audrey H. Reeves. She plans to attend the University of Memphis where she will pursue a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance.

Biennial Student/Collegiate Auditions

Two Ouachita Baptist University music students were named Arkansas state winners in the National Federation of Music Club’s Biennial Student/Collegiate Auditions. T.J. Bailey was named first place winner in the piano division and Caitlin Secrest was named first place winner of the women’s voice division. As state winners, they each received a $200 cash prize and were invited to perform at the Arkansas Federation of Music Club’s state convention, May 3-4, at OBU.

T.J. Bailey, a junior church music major from Fort Smith, Arkansas, was named the 2012 winner of the annual Virginia Queen Piano Competition, is a member of the Ouachita Singers choir and is the current president for the OBU chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia national fraternity for men in music. He is a student of Dr. Ouida Keck.

Caitlin Secrest, a soprano, was named the first place winner of the 2012 Mary Shambarger Competition for Singers, has been a finalist at the state and regional levels of the National Association of Teachers of Singing auditions and is a member of the Ouachita Concert Choir. Secrest is a student of her parents, Dr. Jon Secrest and Dr. Glenda Secrest, OBU professors of music.