Undergraduate Student News | Notes from the Hill

Gabriela Hinckle, class of 2027, with her voice professor, Dr. Daniel Collins, at NATS Nationals.

Laura Garcia, class of 2026, won the 2024 UNC Bands Concerto Competition. Laura performed the first movement from Paul Creston’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra with the UNC Wind Ensemble on April 23rd

Gabriela Hinckle, class of 2027, won first place at the NATS National Auditions in the First/Second-Year College Musical Theater category. She sang “On the Steps of the Palace” from Into the Woods, “Astonishing” from Little Women, and “Whatever Happened to My Part” from Spamalot. Gabriela studies voice with Dr. Daniel Collins and is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology alongside a musical theater minor.

Bill Moore, class of 2026, released his debut album titled New Piedmont Style on Oboscope Records in February. The album’s 12 tracks are all original compositions, including one he workshopped in Prof. Jocelyn Neal’s songwriting class two years ago. Bill grew up listening to Bob Dylan with his parents, leading him to learn more about folk music and the banjo, though his primary instrument remains the guitar. “I’ve always written songs, but the first ones were mostly joke songs, nothing serious. It didn’t really click for me until I found Piedmont blues,” noted the junior music major. “Like Elizabeth Cotten, I was fascinated by the idea that she lived right around where I do. That led me down this rabbit hole of Piedmont blues.”

Phi Beta Kappa Inductees The department is proud of the 10 new Phi Beta Kappa inductees from the 2023-2024 academic year. Fall 2023 inductees included Adam Doyle, Annie Flanagan, Emmaus Holder, Marvin Koonce, Madi Marks, and Caroline Mays. Spring 2024 inductees included Rebecca Bridenbaugh, Kenneth Fischer, Lucas Hendershot, Martha-Grace Jackson, Max Jacobson, Anant Malpani, George Nielsen, and Jonathan Park.

The UNC Symphony Orchestra’s Annual Concerto Competition Winners this year were mezzo-soprano Isabelle Kosempa, ’24, violinist Frances Norton, ’24, and double bassist Cindy Xu, ’25. They performed with the orchestra in Moeser Auditorium on February 29. The program included Movement III from Andrés Martín’s Double Bass Concerto No. 1 performed by Xu, Movement I from Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 performed by Norton, and Offenbach’s Violin Aria from Tales of Hoffman & Seguidilla from Bizet’s Carmen performed by Kosempa.