My Mizzou Story
Katie Andres
Runner-up wasn't the title Katie Andres was hoping for when she competed in the finals of two national music competitions. But by winning second place in both events, the senior majoring in horn performance achieved a rare distinction.
Andres placed second nationally in the Young Artist Composition Competition and the Young Artist Brass Competition. To get to that level, she already had won state and regional titles in composing and performance.
Contest officials say students frequently win awards in related categories, such as instrument solo and ensemble competitions, but winning honors in unrelated categories is rare. The Music Teachers National Association directs the annual competitions, which concluded in late March.
The irony of Andres' second prize in composition is that she wrote Moodswings for Woodwind Quintet - her first composition - as a challenge from her mentor, Professor Marcia Spence. Andres finished second to a doctoral student who is an experienced composer.
Spence wasn't surprised by the success of her standout French horn player from Bonne Terre, Mo. She had been coaching and watching as Andres blossomed. "Katie demonstrated what a university education can do for a student," Spence says.
As a performer, Andres plays some of the most difficult horn literature in existence. For the national competition, she played Concertino Opus 45 for horn and piano by Carl Maria von Weber. A tough multiphonics section of the piece displayed Andres' ability to play notes while singing several different pitches at the same time to form chords.
The music she writes can be equally as challenging. She particularly enjoys testing a performer's ability to handle the horn's upper register, one of her own performance strengths.
With the gift of perfect pitch, Andres accurately hears the music in her head as she composes, and she strives to write pieces that appeal to audiences. "It makes me feel good that people enjoy my music. They can walk away singing a melody," she says.
In addition to the MTNA honors, Andres' Moodswings won the Missouri Sinquefield Composition Prize. The eight-minute piece comprises five movements that reflect the mood of their titles: Obsessed, Jovial, Optimistic, Despondent and Sardonic.