McCants Wins Kentucky Vocal Competition

November 23, 2021

Asbury senior Olivia McCants won first place at the Kentucky Chapter NATS (National Association of Teachers Singing) Musical Theater competition, making this the third state award that she has won from NATS.

This year, McCants received the highest ranking among dozens of participants from Kentucky colleges including University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Murray State University. In the past, she secured third place in 2019 and won first in 2020.

The competition, hosted by the University of Louisville, focuses on vocal soloists, and provides industry connections for competitors and winners to Broadway and other musical theater venues.

The 2021 fall competition was hosted virtually due to COVID-19, and all contestants were advised to send their auditions in by video.

“Winning this award is such a blessing,” said McCants, “I am so grateful to Asbury for the opportunity to compete in this event annually, for my teacher, Dr. Marie-France Duclos and the Music Department, and for the scholastic flexibility that studying at Asbury has provided.”

Along with McCants, Asbury University and its Coordinator of Vocal Studies and Senior Lecturer in Voice Marie-France Duclos, were honored and showcased in the NATS award ceremony.