UPDATED UNCG: GRAMMY nods for three with ties to School of Music, Theatre and Dance

GREENSBORO, N.C., Jan. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two current students and a recent graduate of the UNCG School of Music, Theatre and Dance (SMTD) are finalists for 2015 GRAMMY Awards.

Peter Alexander, dean of the school, says the three nominations, remarkable for any music school, represent a "notable high water mark" for SMTD.

"This is an incredible moment because it once again confirms the School of Music, Theatre and Dance's ability to attract exceptionally talented students and then provide those students with the kind of education that catapults them to the top of their professions," Alexander says. "The graduates of the UNCG School of Music, Theatre and Dance have an amazing and longstanding record of career success. Some have won Tony Awards or Oscars, others are performing with major orchestras, dance ensembles, theatre companies or on Broadway. Still others are faculty members at major universities or leading prominent arts organizations across the nation."

Craig Phillips, a doctoral student in the SMTD, sings with the male quartet New York Polyphony, a vocal chamber ensemble specializing in early and new music. The group is nominated for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for their latest recording, "Sing Thee Nowell".

Phillips relocated to Greensboro in August.

"The excellent reputation of the School of Music, Theatre and Dance and the strength of the voice faculty is what first attracted me to UNCG, but the charm and comfort of Greensboro is what sealed the deal," he says.

Danny Yancey '07 M.M.Ed is a finalist for the second annual award for educators who have made lasting contributions to music education. He was nominated by a student.

The Music Educator Award is presented by the Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation. This year, more than 7,000 nominations came from all 50 states.

Yancey, who starts his doctorate in music education at UNCG in Fall 2015, is music director at Martin Gifted and Talented Magnet School in Raleigh.

Baritone Sidney Outlaw '04 is a featured artist on "L'Orestie d'Eschyle," a finalist for Best Opera Recording. Outlaw joined the Metropolitan Opera roster last year as an understudy for Mamoud in "The Death of Klinghoffer."

Watch the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards live Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, beginning at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.

The UNCG School of Music, Theatre and Dance is the largest and most comprehensive collegiate performing arts program in the state and one of the largest in the southeast and the country.

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a challenging, supportive and engaged community where learning is carried forward to Do something bigger altogether. Founded in 1891, UNCG is the largest and most diverse university in the Triad, serving more than 18,000 students. Standing apart from other universities, the UNCG community is joined together by a shared value: We define excellence not only by the people we attract, but by the meaningful contributions they make.

SOURCE The University of North Carolina at Greensboro