Samantha Frischling ’13 has been named a finalist for the Southern California Vocal Association’s Vocal Solo/Small Ensemble Competition.

“The competition was something that I always knew was going on because Harvard-Westlake students had competed in previous years but it wasn’t something I ever thought I would do,” Frischling said. “But when I started talking to my voice teacher about more performances I could do she thought I should do it.”

The first round of the competition was in late February, in a master class format  Performers sang before the other competitors and the judges.

After the performances, the judges offered feedback to the singers, and finalists were informed that they would proceed to the next round at the end of the day.

“I was first of the high school students- it was really nerve-wracking,” she said. “It was nice though because I didn’t get nervous based on how good anyone else was.”

School accompanist Sara Shakliyan accompanied Frischling as she performed “Lágrimas Mías” by Pedro Miguel Marqués.

“I was really excited,” Frischling said.  “Before the competition I wasn’t really expecting to go on. I was obviously hoping to but I wasn’t sure who my competition was so I didn’t get my hopes up too high.”

The first round of the competition was Feb. 23, the day after friend and fellow Chamber Singer Justin Carr ’14 died.

The performance was very emotional for her and Shakliyan.

“I knew if I let myself think about it too much during the competition I would break down and wouldn’t be able to function,” Frischling said. “I made sure to find Sara before the performance and give her a big hug.”

The final round of the competition is on Sunday, April 28.

“I’m really excited for the finals,” Frishling said. “The competition is filled with so many talented people and even just being able to compete against them is such an honor, whether or not I win.”