Contact: Paige Watson

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Six Mississippi State music or music education majors are top scorers in a competition sponsored by the National Association of Teachers of Singing state affiliate.

Senior William Tiffin of West Point received the Governor’s Cup, the event’s highest overall recognition. A music major at the university, he also was first in the senior men’s category.

Other MSU winners include:

—Third place, older student adult men and women: Jeonai Batista do Nascimento, a senior music education major from Starkville.

—Third place, second-year women: Kourtney J. Holmes, a senior music education major from Houston, Texas.

—Third place, lower-level women, musical theater: Caroline Kennard, a junior music education major from Meridian.

—Third place, sophomore men: James E. “Jimmy” Rustenhaven, a music education major from Olive Branch.

—First place, freshman men: Cameron E. Hobbs, a music major from Jackson.

Involving participants from throughout the Magnolia State, the NATS Mississippi competition recently took place at the University of Mississippi.

Barry Kopetz, Mississippi State music department head, called 2016 “a banner year” for students representing the university, especially the highest award that Tiffin’s performance earned.

Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, MSU’s music department offers a bachelor’s degree in four areas of music education, as well as a bachelor of arts in music. For more, visit www.music.msstate.edu, bit.ly/MSUMusicFB and twitter.com/mstatemusic.

For more information about the competition, contact Kopetz at 662-325-3070 or bkopetz@colled.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.