The accomplished emerging artists of Mercer University‘s Class of ‘22 honed their craft by using the entire city of Macon as their canvas, with connections to the wider world setting stage for the future. Here’s what some of our talented graduates have done to grow during their time in some of our fine arts departments and facilities.
Townsend School of Music
One strong feature of a Mercer education at the Townsend School of Music is its support of students in the next phase of their careers, leading to an outstanding record of Townsend graduates attending top graduate schools all over the country.
“We say often that music matters at Mercer, which makes our students confident to apply to every opportunity,” said Dr. C. David Keith, dean of the School of Music.
One example is Caroline Cooke, who specialized in vocal performance at Mercer.
Cooke hasn’t passed up any opportunities to perform during her time at Mercer. She’s taken on a number of roles in Mercer Opera like Meg March in “Little Women: The Musical,” Belinda in “Dido and Aeneas,” Stella in “The Last Sorcerer,” and Euridice/Enone/Juno in “Orpheus in Opera.” She’s also a member of the Mercer Singers and recently made her debut as the soprano soloist in Handel’s “Messiah” with the Choral Society of Middle Georgia.
Dr. Keith points out that Cooke is a Macon native, but her talent is taking her all over the country. Last fall, she won first place at the Georgia National Association of Teachers of Singing competition, and next year she will be continuing her studies at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.
“Eastman is a renowned conservatory, and they will be fortunate to have Caroline,” Dr. Keith said.
As a part of the McDuffie Center for Strings, cellist Constantine Janello has had extraordinary opportunities to perform and grow.
“Constantine came…