Life > December 6, 2003

Arts Student of the Year

While many Wake Forest students involved in the arts are prepared for the professional world by the time they graduate, few are on the level of senior Joey Hipps. A Presidential Scholar in Music, this tenor already has his foot in the door of success with musical training exceeding nearly all other voice students at Wake Forest.

While Hipps has studied voice for years here and at home, some highlights include his training with Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute and the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory of Music in Venice, Italy. He most recently starred as Aeneas in Wake Forest’s first opera, Dido and Aeneas, took on the role of Dickon the 2002 MainStage production of The Secret Garden, is a former member of Chi Rho men’s a cappella group and has appeared in many solo and ensemble concerts over his years at Wake Forest.

This past summer was a busy one for Hipps, as he performed in two operas at the Brevard Music Festival, Madame Butterfly and La Traviata, and toured the country to see the world premieres of several other professional operas.

Back on campus, Hipps is the intern for the Secrest Artist Series, which brings six world class performances to the university each year.  He is responsible for the promotion and coordination of these events, which provide an outstanding opportunity for students to hear and see some of today’s best musicians and performers.

A few more stats to prove just how talented this rising star is: he was the 2002 Wake Forest University Concerto Competition winner for voice and has won the Christian Cappellutti Prize for Music the past two years, both awards high honors bestowed to music students.

With just one more semester at Wake Forest, Hipps is certain to make a name for himself as he breaks further outside the gates of the Reynolda campus. Yet he won’t be venturing alone — Hipps recently became engaged and plans to be married before graduation.

—Tom Clark