WT Music Student Wins Statewide Contest, Advances to Division Level

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — For a second consecutive year, a West Texas A&M University student has won a statewide woodwind competition.

Joseph Fondren, a senior music major from Arlington, was named the winner of the Texas State Young Artist Woodwind Competition on Oct. 25 at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth. He now will compete as a division finalist in the Music Teachers National Association’s South Central Division Finals. Division winners will be announced in mid-January; division-competition winners will compete in MTNA’s national finals.

“Winning the Texas MTNA Young Artist Competition is a huge achievement and a major milestone in my musical journey,” Fondren said. “It’s my first collegiate competition here at WT, and I never imagined earning such an honor in just my third year.”

Fondren is the principal saxophonist of the Symphonic Band, with whom he played at Carnegie Hall in 2025, and performs with the university’s top jazz ensemble. Fondren also has performed multiple times at the Texas Music Educators Association convention, both with the Texas 5A All-State Band and the WTAMU Symphonic Band. He earned a top place at the Houston Underground Saxophone Competition in 2023 and performed at the NASA 2024 Biennial Conference with the WT Saxophone Ensemble.

“I’m incredibly proud of Joseph for this well-earned achievement,” said Dr. James Barger, associate professor of saxophone in WT’s School of Music in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities. “I’ve never met a student who works harder or practices with more purpose. One of the most rewarding parts of teaching is watching students set ambitious goals, devise a plan, and then see that effort pay off.”

Music Teachers National Association is a nonprofit organization comprised of 17,000 independent and collegiate music teachers committed to advancing the value of music study and music making to society and to supporting the professionalism of music teachers. Founded in 1876, Music Teachers National Association is the oldest professional music association in the United States.

Recruiting, rewarding and retaining the very best students is a key mission of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign has raised more than $175 million and will continue through 2025.

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The University also is home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

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