Nicholas Baddeley, Nick PapadorPercussionist Nicholas Baddeley accepts congratulations from instructor Nick Papador after winning the Ron W. Ianni Memorial Performance Scholarship competition, Friday in the SoCA Armouries.

Percussionist beats competitors to claim performance scholarship

Percussionist Nicholas Baddeley claimed the Ron W. Ianni Memorial Performance Scholarship after playing both xylophone and drums in the competition recital, Friday in the SoCA Armouries.

Baddeley, a fourth-year bachelor of music student in the percussion studio of professor Nick Papador, finished atop a field of 10 selected based on their outstanding grades in the December performance juries.

His performance on xylophone of “Nyack” by David Friedman was accompanied by Dr. Papador on marimba, and Baddeley switched to a full jazz drum kit to lead a combo of pianist Andrew Adoranti, guitarist Logan Fletcher, and bassist Noah Renaud through the Dizzy Gillespie standard “A Night in Tunisia.”

In  addition to awarding Baddeley the $500 scholarship named in honour of the late UWindsor president, the judges extended special recognition to classical singer David Katich-McNamara, baritone, for special recognition for his performance of David Moore’s “Warm is the Autumn Light,” from The Ballad of Baby Doe.