Furman vocal students pitch perfect in regional, national contests

In a darkened auditorium at Temple University in Philadelphia one evening in June, recent Furman University graduate Colleen Allard-Smith ’25 took the stage and gave voice to arias by Mozart and Massenet at the annual National Association of Teachers of Singing competition.

Colleen Allard-Smith ’25 won second place nationally for her classically trained voice. Photo provided by Allard-Smith.

Her powerful operatic performance convinced the judges to award the mezzo-soprano second place among students who have been studying voice for three to five years after high school, according to Grant Knox, associate professor of voice and director of Furman’s Sarah Reese Lyric Theatre.

“I’m so proud of Colleen. She’s incredible,” said Knox, who is Allard-Smith’s voice teacher. “She has come such a long way.”

NATS, the largest international organization of its kind with chapters around the world, is popular in the United States among university and high school teachers and independent studio teachers, he said. Randall Umstead, chair of Furman’s music department, is president elect of NATS.

Each year, students compete at state, regional and national levels; students who place first, second or third in the semifinals compete in the finals.

Allard-Smith was one of 12 Furman students who competed in the Mid-Atlantic Regional level and qualified for nationals. Because of conflicting summer obligations, only three competed nationally: Allard-Smith, soprano Lexi Howard ’27 and baritone Lane Lytle ’27. Howard, who studied with Bronwen Forbay, an associate professor of voice, and Lytle, who studied with Kathryn Knauer, an instructor of voice, competed among students who have studied voice for one to two years after high school, Knox said. All sang in the classical division, he said.

While she graduated this year, Allard-Smith performed during all four years in Furman productions singing music that ranged from Gian Carlo Menotti to Jacques Offenbach, Knox said.

Originally from Atlanta, she will attend The Manhattan School of Music this fall for her master’s degree in opera performance.

“I got interested in singing … in elementary school and kept going until college,” she said. “I started studying opera performance when I began studies at Furman and I’ve really loved it ever since.”

Allard-Smith credits Knox with helping her find her voice.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a better teacher,” she said. “He’s truly the best. Before doing opera, I was doing musical theater and I did not think I’d ever see myself doing opera. But he helped me through this whole process. And I hope to keep in touch and continue to learn from him.”

Lexi Howard ’27, Colleen Allard-Smith ’25 and Lane Lytle ’27 competed at the national level of the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition this summer. Photo provided by Allard-Smith.

For his part, Knox said he’s doing what he was meant to do.

“I love what I do,” he said. “And I’m so grateful that there are so many talented students at Furman.”

Allard-Smith’s dream is to land at the Metropolitan Opera and star in Bizet’s Carmen. And she says her second-place win at the NATS should help.

“I thought it would be nice if I placed and this competition helped me a lot,” she said. “It brought teachers from around the country together and helped me make connections.”

Here’s a list of students who competed at the regional level:

Oliver Flaherty ’28

Jeremiah Reid ’28

Max Moorehead ’27

Lane Lytle ’27

Lexi Howard ’27

Will Jordan ’26

Charlie Sanderson ’26

Georgia Thomas ’26

Hayley Glenn ’26

Christian Dukes ’25

Colleen Allard-Smith ’25

Kendra Lund ’25