Hollis Prize Recital to feature top Millikin student musicians

[March 20, 2015]  DECATUR - Millikin University's School of Music presents the 13th Annual Hollis Prize Competition Recital on Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. in Kaeuper Hall, Perkinson Music Center, on Millikin's campus. The recital will feature performances by Millikin University's top three music performing students. The event is free and open to the public, no reservations or tickets required.

This year's finalists are Abigail Karnes (soprano), a junior vocal performance major with a theatre minor from Kearney, Mo., Chloe Raffe (soprano), a junior vocal performance major from Des Plaines, Ill., and Chris Raymond (bassoon), a senior instrumental music performance major from Bourbonnais, Ill.

The Hollis Prize is the highest award that may be received by a student instrumentalist or vocalist within the Millikin School of Music. The Hollis Prize was first awarded in spring 2003. Millikin is one of only a few schools in the country to offer this type of prestigious prize through a music competition.

"Thanks to the generosity of Dr. Kimm Hollis, the School of Music is honored and privileged to be able to feature our very best performers competing for the Hollis Prize," said Dr. Stephen Widenhofer, director of Millikin University's School of Music. "All of these students are winners by just being named as finalists."

The winner of the Hollis Prize is chosen by outside faculty judges and receives a $2000 award and will perform a recital. Runners-up each receive $500. This year's recital will be held Sunday, April 26, 2015, at 2 p.m. at the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, Ill.

The annual competition is generously funded by Dr. C. Kimm Hollis, a 1972 Millikin graduate, and professor of music and artist in residence at Hanover College in Hanover, Ind.

The Finalists

Abigail Karnes – Soprano

Abigail Karnes has recently appeared as Galatea in Millikin Opera Theatre's production of "Acis and Galatea" and Millikin's main stage production of Puccini One Acts as Nella in "Gianni Schicchi." She also played French horn in the pit orchestra for Millikin's production of "Cinderella" in 2012 and was the assistant stage manager for Millikin's production of "Sacred/Secular: Cantatas" by J.S. Bach. Abigail is also a member of the Millikin University Choir.

Chloe Raffe – Soprano

Chloe Raffe has performed with the Millikin Opera Theatre as the Nursing Sister in Puccini's "Suor Angelica" and as Serpina in Pergolesi's "La Serva Padrona."

Her diverse experiences include performing in Rome, Italy with the Willows Academy Chamber Choir. She is a member of the award-winning Millikin University Choir under the direction of Dr. Brad Holmes, Millikin director of choral activities. After receiving her degree from Millikin, Chloe plans to continue studying opera performance in graduate school.

Chris Raymond – Bassoon

Christopher Raymond regularly performs with the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra (MDSO), the Eidolan Woodwind Quintet, and Millikin's Symphonic Wind Ensemble, where he has held the Principal Bassoon chair for the past four years. A two-time winner of the Concerto/Aria competition, Chris performed Weber's "Concerto in F Major" with the MDSO in 2013. He was also a finalist for Millikin's Hollis Prize. Other featured appearances include performances with the Millikin Wind Ensemble and the Kankakee Valley Symphony.

An active orchestral musician around central Illinois, Chris holds the Principal Bassoon position with the Urbana Pops Orchestra, and performs regularly with Sinfonia da Camera in Champaign-Urbana, Ill. Last year, he traveled with the South Shore Orchestra of Indiana on a tour of China.

Millikin's School of Music is committed to developing complete musicians artistically, technically and intellectually by emphasizing the integration of theory and practice with other disciplines across the University. For more information on Millikin's School of Music, visit millikin.edu/music.

[Media Relations, Millikin University]