The NDSU saxophone quartet, under the direction of Matthew Patnode, placed first in the North Dakota State Division of the Music Teacher’s National Association Collegiate Chamber Music Competition, October 27, in Valley City, N.D.  The quartet will now compete in January at the Midwest Central competition in Lawrence, Kan.

The NDSU saxophone quartet performed a 30-minute program featuring works by Lacour, Bresnick and Rivier.  The group consists of:

• Carolyn Braus, a senior majoring in music performance from Bismarck, N.D.
• Antoine Poitras, a senior majoring in music education from Fargo, N.D.
• Andrew Long, a junior majoring in music performance from Fargo, N.D.
• Paul Nason, a senior majoring in music education from Mandan, N.D.

Braus also won the Music Teacher’s National Association’s Young Artist competition on October 27.  Her 40-minute program featured works by Platti, Jolivet, Swerts and Gotkovsky.  She was accompanied on piano by Sue Nagel.

The Music Teacher’s National Association has 22,000 members in 50 states-and more than 500 local affiliates and is the pre-eminent source for music teacher support.

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation’s top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.