Mizzou’s Ben Colagiovanni has advanced to the next level in this year’s Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) composition competition, winning the “Young Artist” award in the West Central Division.

Colagiovanni, a senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in music composition, previously was recognized as a state winner for “Forest Park Rhapsody.” Now, as a division winner, his work automatically advances to the national competition, the results of which will be announced by the end of January.

The national MTNA composition competition offers a first place prize of $3,000, plus a performance at the Winners Concert during the 2016 MTNA National Conference, which will take place April 2 through April 6 in San Antonio, TX.

“Forest Park Rhapsody” was one of four works originally commissioned in 2014 by the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation for the Mizzou New Music Ensemble to perform at an event for members of Forest Park Forever’s Leffingwell Society.

A native of St. Louis and graduate of Clayton High School, Colagiovanni (pictured) was a two-time winner in Mizzou’s statewide Creating Original Music Project (COMP) before enrolling at MU with a full-tuition Sinquefield Scholarship to study composition.