While most ISU students were recovering from Halloween celebrations earlier this month, Coeli Monnig was busy competing in the Antonin Dvorak International Vocal Competition in the Czech Republic.

Monnig, senior in management and vocal music, spent Nov. 1 to Nov. 12 in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, competing with nearly 100 students from all over Eastern Europe, Russia, Korea, Japan and the United States.

“I competed in the junior and song divisions, and there’s also an opera division in the competition,” she said. “I prepared 14 songs by composers like Schubert, Dvorak, Mozart, Haydn and Aaron Copland, who’s an American songwriter.”

Monnig said she had previously competed in several regional vocal competitions, but this was her first international experience.

“I wanted to compete over in Europe because it offered me a different opportunity from competitions held here in Iowa,” she said. “I was also wanting to learn more about what a professional singer’s life was like and to see if that was the kind of life I would ever want.”

Though Monnig didn’t place in the competition, she said she learned a lot from hearing other singers perform.

“I listened to a lot of singers between rehearsal and singing,” she said. “I also got the opportunity to perform for a panel of judges from all different countries, and I definitely think that’s a good way to improve your audition and performance skills. I’ve learned a lot the last two months preparing for and going to the competition.”

Sarah Meredith, ISU graduate and visiting associate professor of music this year, accompanied Monnig to Europe. Meredith said Iowa State gave enough money for one student to attend the competition and she auditioned the students who were interested in participating.

“I selected Coeli to compete because she was the most well-prepared and I could tell she had a real desire to go,” she said.

Meredith said the competition has existed for 35 years and provides a great experience to anyone who participates.

“It’s dedicated to Dvorak, who actually spent time in the United States and in Iowa,” she said. “I think it’s a great way to make a new global experience for our students. It also helps students realize that music and singing can bring people together who don’t even speak the same language. I would really encourage singers to participate in competitions like this.”

Monnig noticed some differences among singers from other countries during the competition.

“It was a great learning opportunity to hear other singers,” she said. “The training in lots of other countries is very different; they go to music conservatories at a young age and have lots of pressure on them.

“Many of them are very competitive. In most other competitions I’ve been to, the group you competed in was also made up of people your own age,” she added. “In this competition, though, there were people from ages 18 to 30 in my competition group.”

The competition wasn’t all work and no play, however.

“I got to spend some time sight seeing Karlovy Vary, which is a health spa village two hours west of Prague, and I also got to see Prague for a couple days,” Monnig said.

Monnig said though she enjoys being a member of Iowa State Singers, getting an international competition experience was a good challenge.

“I really enjoyed this competition,” she said. “I’d definitely do it again and also recommend it to anyone else.”