The students competed at the National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition held June 26-28 in Philadelphia.
Four Elon students performed as finalists at the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition held in late June at Temple University.
After competing and advancing through multiple preliminary and semifinal rounds — from the North Carolina State Competition to the Mid-Atlantic Regionals — top performers in each category were invited to submit video auditions for the 2025 national contest.
Eleven Elon students had advanced to the semifinals in multiple categories, including classical, music theatre and commercial music — more than any other institution. Of those semifinalists, four were named finalists in the national contest after placing in their respective categories in the regional competition.
This year marked a record for the music program, with the highest number of state and regional winners to date across the classical, commercial and music theatre categories.
“We had an unprecedented number of students who advanced to the semifinals,” said Polly Cornelius, senior lecturer in music. “This is an incredible accomplishment for our program and our students. To have four students from the same university sing on the national stage is not only impressive and prestigious, but a testament to the excellent teaching and mentorship within the voice area of the Music Department at Elon University.”
The four finalists to perform at this year’s national competition were:
JT Loveless ’28
A double major in theatre and music, Loveless won first place in the regional round in Lower Music Theatre TBB (tenor, bass and baritones). He is from Bentonville, Arkansas, and studies with Cornelius.
Ella Huestis ’25
A recent graduate with a degree in music theatre, Ella Huestis won first place in Upper Music Theatre Treble in the regional round. She is from Dallas, Texas, and studied with Gretchen Bruesehoff.
Sitare Sadeghi ’25
A recent graduate with a degree in music theatre, Sitare Sadeghi won second place in Upper Music Theatre Treble in the regional round. Sadeghi is from Bethesda, Maryland, and studied with Cornelius.
Addy Reese ’28
A music theatre major, Addy Reese won third place in Lower Music Theatre Treble in the regional round. Reese is from Tampa and studies with Cornelius.
Huestis described the shock she felt when she won first place. “It is really validating to do material that means a lot to me and to have the judges and audience resonate with it and enjoy it,” Huestis said. “The competition was so rewarding and fun doing the thing I love.”
Loveless said she enjoyed the experience and opportunity to perform on a national stage.
“My goal from the beginning was to make it to Nationals, but I never participated in the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition as a high school student, so I did not know what to expect or if getting that far in the competition would even be possible for me,” Loveless said. “I am humbled and honored to have won and to know that all the work I put into preparation for each round of the competition paid off in the end.
“Traveling to nationals was an incredible experience not only as a performer, but also as an Elon student, because I got to share the experience with several Elon music theatre and vocal performance students.”
Regional winners who advanced to the semifinals include:
JT Loveless
Micah Cabot
Addy Reese
Sitare Sadeghi
Trevor Hudson
Isaiah Flowers
Victoria Evans
Tara Flury
Ella Huestis
Nicole Bazos
Alyssa Alpaugh
Elon University pianists Suzanne Polak and CJ Albee accompanied students.