Marshall University’s School of Music and Theatre presented the winner’s recital Sunday of the Belle and Lynum Jackson competition.

Stephen Daming, graduate student in piano performance at Marshall, was the final prizewinner of the competition.

The competition was open to music students at Marshall studying any discipline within the school.

“It was actually very unexpected,” Daming said. “The violinist guy, I mean to me, he’s maybe the best musician in the entire music program. It was just an honor to even be considered with the guy.”

The Karlheinz Stockhausen piece he performed in the recital included a chord that was played 142 times throughout the song.

Daming said he was grateful for the performance experience.

“Just the act of doing it,” Daming said. “Being able to have the honor of performing music itself is just great… I just love music. I think the greatest thing anyone can do with their life is to do something they really like to do, and it’s what I really like to do.”

Mikaela Keener can be contacted at [email protected].