My name is Ed Gunther. I’m 17-years-old and a senior in high-school. I have been playing the trumpet for 7 years. For the past year and a half I’ve been studying with Dr. Timothy Altman at the University of North Carolina, Pembroke, NC. I’ve enjoyed competing and playing in the All-District and All-State Bands, however, this is the first year I’ve been involved in the MTNA competitions. I plan to major in music in college.
Nicole Susanna Hodgins, "Nicki" to her friends and family, is a senior at Green Hope High School. She has studied voice for several years, and has been the voice student of NCMTA member Catherine Charlton during her time in high school. Nicki has achieved much success, having won or been a finalist at numerous competitions including NATS, Classical Singer Magazine, Raleigh Music Club, and NCMTA where she was the state representative two years in a row. She was named Southern Regional Finalist this year which took her to the MTNA Senior Voice Finals in Milwaukee where she was named the 2nd place winner and recipient of $1,000.00 scholarship. She has spent summers at both Tanglewood and Interlochen. Nicki has been active as a cantor at Beth Shalom Synagogue where she founded the Beth Shalom Junior Choir in 2009. She has also been a member of the Green Hope High School choral program and has participated in numerous musicals at school. Nicki will be entering Peabody Conservatory in the fall.
Xin Gao, from Chengdu, China, received both B.M. and M.M. degrees from Duquesne University, in Pittsburgh. Currently, he is a D.M.A. student and also a graduate teaching assistant at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he is a saxophone student of Steven Stusek. He was the winner of Concert Competitions at Duquesne and in Tennesses.. In 2007, he made the semi-final round of the second International Jean-Marie Londeix Saxophone Competition. In 2010, Xin won third place in the MTNA National Young Artist Woodwind Competition.
