Looking Back Over 75 Years  

PAST WINNERS' REFLECTIONS

Shannon Dooley (2003)

Artist Presentation Society came into my life at a crucial time of my musical, not yet, career.  The biggest impact the organization had on me was preparing for the APS competition and then ultimately preparing for the recital that followed a year after. The timing of these two events kept me singing. I took a gap year between my undergraduate degree from Webster University and attending graduate school, during which time I was preparing for graduate school auditions and also preparing for the APS competition. I think it was crucial to have these two things to focus on during the year I was not immersed in music because it helped me stay connected. After winning the competition, I went off to graduate school at New England Conservatory. I did not have many performing opportunities during my first year at NEC, so once again APS kept me in the mindset of performing and working toward my musical goal of being a professional singer. 

Sasha Starcevich (1990)

As a young musician studying in St. Louis, I was introduced to the Artist Presentation Society’s competition through my wonderful teacher, the late and great Jane Allen.  As a winner, I was given a precious and invaluable gift. I had an opportunity to present a formal debut recital with press review.  The opportunity helped to propel me into a lifelong career of performing and teaching here and abroad.  In today’s world, young musicians have countless competitions to prepare for, but there remain still very few golden opportunities for a formal debut recital.  We must cherish and foster the continued success of the Artist Presentation Society so that musicians will continue to have this precious moment in their lives.  

Dr. Marie Jureit-Beamish, Professor Emerita of Music, Principia College (1982)

Our family of musicians has been greatly blessed over the years by the generosity and support from Artist Presentation Society of St. Louis.  In addition, as a Professor of Music at Principia College since 1978, many of my outstanding music students were also the grateful recipients of this honor and award of being presented in a concert to help launch their careers in a life devoted to music.

As a relatively new professor and already the mother of three young children, I entered the competition in the spring of 1982, right before completion of my Doctor of Musical Arts from Yale School of Music.  As a matter of fact, this honor was one of the contributing factors along the path of me completing the demanding performing requirements for the doctorate.  It was as a flutist and member of a flute and guitar duo with a longtime colleague, David Sussman, that our collaboration was honored that year.  That was just the beginning of many subsequent honors for members of my musical family, children, and students alike. (What you may not know is that, on the morning of the competition, one of my fingers was crushed in a garage door; I couldn’t even drive a car to get there.  However, when we arrived, we were immediately ushered to the stage to compete—without even warming up. Miraculously I was not only able to play, but in fact win!  This indeed was a life lesson in taking the stage no matter what.)

As is the true value from all competitions, two of my daughters were later awarded by APS to recognize their individual accomplishments as young professional pianists. Both Laura Garritson (Parker) and Lindsay Garritson had the opportunity to train in St. Louis with the legendary piano teacher Jane Allen and to perform concerti with local orchestras, including the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra in Powell Symphony Hall.  However, one of their greatest opportunities in their developing careers was to perform solo piano concerts sponsored by APS.  

I am ever grateful to APS for the support in helping to launch the musical careers of some of my outstanding music students, including flutist Amanda Blaikie (now with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra), flutist Dr. Jonathan Borja (currently Associate Professor of Music at University of Wisconsin—la Crosse) and pianist Timothy Dawn (now living and teaching in Germany).  APS helped to encourage and light their paths forward in music.  

Although not every contestant is proclaimed “winner” in a competition, every performer benefits greatly from the incentive to grow in excellence while preparing for the competition.  To this day, I continue to work with budding musicians of all ages and am ever urging them to develop to their highest potential, with competitions being one of the greatest tangible means of working towards the goal of musical excellence.  That growth is the greatest gift of all! 

Thank you to Artist Presentation Society for the decades of continuing to represent that high mark of excellence in our community of musicians. 

David Brunell (1978)

When I was young my parents began taking me to many concerts featuring not only large ensembles such as the Saint Louis Symphony, but also individual performers such as those sponsored by the Artist Presentation Society. Hearing these highly-accomplished young artists inspired me to work all the harder in my own practicing.  When I later auditioned for the Artist Presentation Society, I was impressed that Florence Frager, the mother of internationally acclaimed concert pianist Malcolm Frager, was very involved in APS and wanted to help others aspiring to achieve a concert career.   When APS selected me to perform a concert, the excellent reviews I received were invaluable and became a part of my publicity flyer.  That experience was also a great stepping-stone to being selected as a United States Artistic Ambassador, touring six foreign countries, and in securing an artist faculty position at the University of Tennessee, allowing me to combine concertizing with teaching. Many thanks to APS!