Cumberland Valley School of Music plans to hold its annual Recognition Concert on Sunday, April 24 to feature the student recipients of the Merit Award Scholarship, the Henry and Janet Guarriello Scholarship, and graduating seniors who plan to major or minor in a performance art.
Free and open to the public, the concert will take place at the Thomson Alumnae Chapel on the Wilson College Campus, 1015 Philadelphia Avenue, Chambersburg. Each student will have a performance slot during the 3 p.m. concert.
According to Paula Hepfer, CVSM executive director, the Merit Awards Scholarship process was formed during the earliest years of the 26-year-old school’s existence. She recently commented about the merit audition process.
“All participating students benefit from the merit audition process, not only those named in the top three slots. Performing before a panel of judges serves as a powerful motivator to prepare diligently, the performance itself requires courage and develops poise under pressure, and the judge’s feedback gives future musical studies direction,” Hepfer said.
To determine the Merit winners, students auditioned on Saturday, April 2 at the school. Students in instrumental, piano and voice categories presented pieces they prepared before three judges. Judges heard audition candidates between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. that day.
Once the judging sheets were tallied, students placed as follows:
Instrumental
1st – Abigail Duvall, violin student of Cindy Scanzello. Abigail is a 10th grader attending Greencastle-Antrim High School.
2nd – Jordan Noll, flute, student of Amanda Bietsch. Jordan is a 9th grade home school student affiliated with the Greencastle-Antrim High School.
3rd – Elinor Borrell, violin student of Cindy Scanzello. Elinor is a 10th grader at the Chambersburg Area Senior High School (CASHS).
Piano
1st – Rebekah Duvall, student of Julia Emig. Rebekah is an 8th grader at Greencastle-Antrim Middle School.
2nd – Elinor Borrell, student of Valerie Merriman. Elinor attends 10th grade at CASHS.
3rd – Zakary Reynolds, student of Susan Matson. Zachary in a 7th grader at Greencastle-Antrim Middle School.
Voice (two third-place winners selected)
1st – Elary Mede, student of Elisabeth Turchi. Elary is in the 11th grade at CASHS.
2nd – Sarah Sutton, student of Gabrielle Sanfilippo. Sarah is an 11th grader at the Chambersburg Career Magnet School.
3rd – Anna Gudgeon, also a student of Sanfilippo. Anna is an 11th grade home school student.
3rd – Marisabel Cordova, a student of Richard Overcash. Marisabel attends 11th grade at CASHS.
The 1st Place Voice Award is the Margaret Weeks Vocal Award. The late Margaret (Peggy) Weeks taught voice for many years at CVSM. Hepfer remembered working with Weeks.
“Peggy was a wonderful instructor to many accomplished musicians and a substantial number of professional singers including Elisabeth Turchi, Carla Jablonski and Corey Evan Rotz. Her students raised money to create the Margaret Weeks Vocal Award fund to continue her legacy of excellence,” Hepfer recalled.
Also as a result of the auditions, the Benjamin A. Rhine Award Award was presented to Koby Bragunier, an 11th grader at CASHS. Koby is a voice student of Richard Overcash, a trombone student of Keith Smith, and a violin student of Rebekah Swisher. The Benjamin A. Rhine Memorial Scholarship was established in 1996 to honor the memory of Ben Rhine, who studied multiple instruments at CVSM. The award is given annually to a CVSM student who is studying and displaying aptitude in more than one instrument concurrently.
Recipients of the Henry and Janet Guarriello Scholarship, are Sarah Steele, of Chambersburg, and Grace Boscolo, of Greencastle. The award is presented to high school students who have a minimum of four years of lesson experience at CVSM and who are planning to continue their music education. The Guarriellos fund this annual scholarship through the Franklin County Foundation, a regional organization representing The Foundation for Enhancing Communities.
In addition to scholarship monies, the students winning awards will be presented with certificates at the concert.
Also planning to perform at the concert are some graduating seniors who plan to major or minor in a performance art, including: Grace Boscolo and Harrison Scott, voice students of Richard Overcash; and Maggie Haynes, voice students of Elisabeth Turchi.
For additional information about the Recognition Concert or the school of music lessons, camps and workshops, please call (717)-261-1220. One of the staff members will assist you. Visit us online at www.cvsmusic.org. Keep up with all the latest happenings by following CVSM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@cvsmusic).
ABOUT CUMBERLAND VALLEY SCHOOL OF MUSIC
In its 26th year, Cumberland Valley School of Music (CVSM) is committed to creating a musical community where high quality instruction and performance opportunities are available to all. Over 750 students – newborn through senior citizens – are served by CVSM with instruction provided in music, voice and drama through individual and group lessons, camps and classes. Live performance opportunities are provided through events such as recitals, concerts and the annual student Performathon. Additionally, the school sponsors scholarship programs open to young musicians in the Chambersburg, Waynesboro, Mercersburg and Hagerstown areas. CVSM strongly believes that the benefits of the study of music and the participation in musical activities extend beyond musical proficiency to academic and vocational performance, social skills and enriching one’s life experiences.
Pictured From left to right, they are:
Anna Gudgeon, Rebekah Duvall, Abigail Duvall, Zakary Reynolds, Sarah Sutton, Elary Mede, Elinor Borrell, Jordan Noll, Koby Bragunier, Marisabel Cordova