Every night during the State Fair at 6 p.m., crowds converge at the Luther Auto Bandshell to witness an event almost as legendary as corndogs and cotton candy. The annual Minnesota State Fair Amateur Talent Contest semifinals draw hundreds of fair guests who grab a seat to enjoy singers, dancers, instrumentalists, cloggers and every type of performer in between as they compete for the right to be named Minnesota’s top talent. Nightly first-place winners compete in the Amateur Talent Contest Finals, held in the Grandstand on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. This final round of competition features the 26 remaining contestants competing for more than $20,000 in cash awards!
Flutist, Paula Gudmundson is Professor of Music. Miyazawa Performing Artist is Recipient of the 2022-2023 McKnight Fellowship for Performing Musicians. Her work focuses on centering her work around collaboration, community engagement and bringing voice to the absent narratives in the arts. Recordings include La Flauta of Buenos Aires (2014), Breaking Waves (2019) and Melodies of the Forest (2022) She has also been featured on Minnesota Public Radio’s Regional Spotlight. Gudmundson has performed at numerous music festivals and events, including regional, national and international conferences of the College Music Society, various National Flute Association conventions, a Minnesota Public Radio’s Class Notes Artist, Invited artist in at the the American Embassy School in New Delhi, India, International Flute Festival of Costa Rica, and La Côte Flûte Festival in Switzerland.
Dr. Gudmuundson has been recipient of the Albert Tezla Teacher/Scholar Award and College of Liberal Arts Research/Creative Activity Award from the University of Minnesota Duluth. She has also received numerous grants from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, Minnesota State Arts Board and the University of Minnesota. Her interdisciplinary work has taken her to residencies at Tofte Lake Center in Ely, MN and Kala Art Institute in Berkley, CA.
For more information check out her website: www.paulagudmundson.com