Dear Texoma Colleagues,
I hope your holiday season was restorative and that 2026 is off to a great start! This message includes some important announcements and reminders about upcoming events and deadlines, but first…
HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to mezzo-soprano Josefina Maldonado (and her collaborative pianist Brian Bentley and teacher Barbara Hill Moore) for winning first prize at the 2026 NATSAA competition! As part of the award, Josefina will be presenting a recital this summer in San Antonio at the NATS National Conference!
TEXOMA REGION – SPRING 2026 AUDITIONS
The regional auditions this spring are online and include the following categories:
- Children and Youth: Classical, Musical Theatre, and Commercial Music
- High School, Post High School, Adult: Musical Theatre and Commercial Music
Upcoming Events and Deadlines:
- Sunday, January 25, 4:30 PM (CST) – Informational Meeting via Zoom
- Monday, January 26 – Registration Opens in AuditionWare
- Wednesday, February 18, 4:00 PM (CST) – Registration Closes
Look for an email from the Texoma Region Auditions Chair, Casey Carter, in the next few days with additional information.
TEXOMA REGION – FALL 2026 CONFERENCE & AUDITIONS
Location: West Texas A & M University, Canyon, Texas
Dates: October 28-31, 2026
Thank you to Matt Oglesby and the WTAMU faculty for agreeing to host us all in Canyon this fall!
REMINDERS
If you have not yet renewed your NATS membership for 2026 (here), your membership is technically “expired” as of January 1, 2026! Please renew now, join a NATS chapter, and consider donating to one of the Texoma-associated funds:
- High School Vocal Music Fellowships (Texoma)
- Linda Poetschke People’s Choice Award (Texoma NATSAA/SOTY Finals)
- Barbara Hill Moore Emerging Teaching Artist Award (National)
- Herald Stark Endowment (National)
- Edward Baird – Bruce Lunkley Endowment (National)
- James McKinney Endowment (National)
Please remind your students to deposit award checks from Fall 2025.
Early-bird Registration for the 2026 National Conference ends March 15, 2026.
UPCOMING DEADLINES FOR AWARDS & GRANTS
- Barbara Hill Moore Emerging Teaching Artist Award (Deadline: January 15, 2026)
- Emerging Leaders Award (Deadline: January 26, 2026)
- Joan Frey Boytim Awards for Independent Teachers (Deadline: February 1, 2026)
- Voice Pedagogy Award (Deadline: February 15, 2026)
TEXOMA HS FELLOWSHIP
Melinda Brou has agreed to continue to organize the Texoma Region High School Vocal Music Fellowship. Two students have been selected for fellowships this year and we are pleased to be able to offer the UTheory tutoring program to six other students that applied. A full announcement with additional details will be coming soon!
Very best wishes,
Dan
Daniel Hunter-Holly
Regional Governor, Texoma Region NATS