Luke Palau, junior aviation major, recently earned third place in the National Student Auditions (NSA), an annual singing competition sponsored by the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Competing in the Musical Theater category, Palau placed in the top three out of 15 national semifinalists during the live rounds held in Philadelphia.
The NSA begins each winter with video submissions evaluated by regional judges using a detailed scoring rubric. Palau qualified through the Intermountain Region and advanced to the national round, where his performances secured him a spot in the semifinals in Philadelphia.
“Singing at this level comes with a lot of pressure,” said Palau. “You’re working with a new pianist and get only 15 minutes to rehearse before your audition.”
For his performances, Palau sang three pieces: “Finishing the Hat” from Sunday in the Park with George, “Lucky to Be Me” from On the Town, and “I Love Betsy” from Honeymoon in Vegas. Palau was the last finalist announced and performed once more before a live audience to determine the final podium.
“I felt solid in my first performance, but at a competition with so much talent, the margins are ultra thin,” he said. “I was incredibly stoked to have another opportunity to perform.”
Christine Janis, assistant professor of music and Palau’s voice teacher, praised his dedication. “Luke is very active in our music department and thrives in performance environments,” she said. “We’re incredibly proud of his achievement—it’s quite the feather in his cap.”
A two-time Oregon state champion in classical bass voice, Palau described this foray into musical theater as “a blast” and says he hopes to enter more competitions in the future. This fall, he’ll appear as Mr. Knightly in WWU’s production of Jane Austen’s Emma: The Musical.
To learn more about music at WWU, visit wallawalla.edu/music.
Posted July 2, 2025
