Having already amazed thousands of concertgoers, Rebecca Pedersen impressed judges in this weekend’s win at the Licia-Albanese Puccini Vocal Competition in New York City.
As part of the first place prize, she also received $10,000 and will get the opportunity to return to New York in the fall to sing in the Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center.
“She is a remarkable talent,” said Stephen Jones, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications.
The competition is a prestigious win award to add to Pedersen’s increasingly long list of accomplishments. Last year, she was a winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, which “provides invaluable exposure” and practically guarantees a job to the winners.
Despite the chance to kick-off a promising international career, Pedersen, a music performance major, opted to continue her studies at BYU under the direction of her teacher, Darrell Babidge.
“Just another example of the good fruit that comes from bringing talented and dedicated students into contact with talented and dedicated faculty,” said Kevin Worthen, president of BYU in an email. “What a great enterprise in which to be involved.”