{"id":130774,"date":"2024-05-18T10:38:29","date_gmt":"2024-05-18T14:38:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=130774"},"modified":"2024-05-18T10:39:19","modified_gmt":"2024-05-18T14:39:19","slug":"130774","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=130774","title":{"rendered":"Community Music School Announces 2024 Gala Scholarship Recipients"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo Caption:\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>On Saturday, May 11, 2024, Community Music School (CMS) held the annual Gala Recital & Scholarship Awards in the Dorothy H. Baker Recital Hall at CMS.\u00a0 Pictured are (l-r) Ceiran Magee, CMS Executive Director Jeff Reed, Naina Dey, Samuel Truong, Rene Kim, Abigail Dodd, Siddharth Chitta, Isaac Sharma, Liam Pammer, Solomon Trotter, Shriya Chitta, Paul Mansour, Maanya Gope, and CMS Assistant Director Lisa Kulp.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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Allentown, PA (May 17, 2024) \u2013\u00a0Each spring, CMS faculty recommend their highest performing students at all levels for an audition before an independent panel of judges. The three judges evaluate each student\u2019s musical performance and determine a total audition score based on tone, technique, accuracy, interpretation, and musical effect. This year\u2019s judges were\u00a0Kaylee Santanello<\/strong>, former Director of Middle School Orchestras, Parkland School District;\u00a0John Leiderman<\/strong>, Band Director & Music Teacher, Catasauqua Middle School; and\u00a0Patrice Kidd<\/strong>, retired Director of Music, Moravian Academy Middle School.<\/p>\n

Students with the highest scores in the auditions performed\u00a0at\u00a0the Gala Recital in the school\u2019s Dorothy H. Baker Recital Hall on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 1544 Hamilton Street in Allentown.\u00a0 The students who were invited to perform were:\u00a0Shira Bach<\/strong>, piano;\u00a0Drew Bui<\/strong>, piano;\u00a0Siddharth Chitta<\/strong>, violin;\u00a0Shriya Chitta<\/strong>, violin;\u00a0\u00a0Naina Dey<\/strong>, classical guitar;\u00a0Jonathan Do<\/strong>, piano;\u00a0Abigail Dodd<\/strong>, violin;\u00a0Maanya Gope<\/strong>, voice;\u00a0Harmony John<\/strong>, piano;\u00a0Rene Kim<\/strong>, violin;\u00a0Phelps Lozana<\/strong>, piano;\u00a0Emily Ma<\/strong>, piano;\u00a0Ceiran Magee<\/strong>, piano;\u00a0Paul Mansour<\/strong>, piano;\u00a0Aiden de Mesa<\/strong>, piano;\u00a0Liam Pammer<\/strong>, piano;\u00a0Sebastian Santiago<\/strong>, piano;\u00a0Isaac Sharma<\/strong>, flute;\u00a0Solomon Trotter<\/strong>, piano;\u00a0Samuel Truong<\/strong>, piano; and\u00a0Ezra Wilson<\/strong>, piano. Among these outstanding students, several exceptional students also received merit-based scholarships for CMS lessons in 2024-2025:<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Jerome & Martha Markowitz Scholarship<\/em>\u00a0was awarded to\u00a0Harmony John\u00a0<\/strong>of Allentown, piano student of Kelly Hooper.\u00a0 The\u00a0Jerome & Martha Markowitz Scholarship<\/em>\u00a0is named in memory of Jerome Markowitz, the founder of Allen Organ Company, and his wife, Martha.\u00a0 Martha was a great friend of CMS and was one of the founding board members of CMS in 1981.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Joseph Maletz Scholarship<\/em>\u00a0was awarded to\u00a0Liam Pammer<\/strong>\u00a0of Laurys Station, piano student of Marissa Amphay.\u00a0 The\u00a0Joseph Maletz Scholarship<\/em>\u00a0is awarded in memory of Joseph Maletz, violinist and husband of CMS founding director, Martha Maletz, to CMS students who pursue excellence in their music education.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Muriel I. Frank Scholarship<\/em>\u00a0was awarded to\u00a0Isaac Sharma<\/strong>\u00a0of Allentown, flute student of Elaine Martin.\u00a0 The\u00a0Muriel I. Frank Scholarship<\/em>\u00a0is named in honor of Muriel Frank (1917-2009), one of the founding board members of CMS, and was established on her 80th<\/sup>\u00a0birthday in 1997.\u00a0 She was married to Attorney Bernard Frank and was a member of Temple Beth El, Allentown. A graduate of Allentown High School, class of 1933, Muriel received a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the University of Pennsylvania in 1937. An accomplished pianist, she became an accompanist for the University of Pennsylvania Choral Society and the Philadelphia Orchestra.\u00a0 After graduation, she opened a piano studio and continued to perform publicly.\u00a0 Music was the mainstream of her life, and she served on the CMS Board of Directors for many years.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Joseph P. Schermerhorn Scholarship<\/em>\u00a0was awarded to\u00a0Solomon Trotter<\/strong>\u00a0of Allentown, piano student of Abigail Zuckert.\u00a0 The\u00a0Joseph P. Schermerhorn Scholarship<\/em>\u00a0is awarded in memory of Joseph Schermerhorn, son of longtime CMS Executive Director George Schermerhorn and his wife Eunice, to CMS students who pursue excellence in their music education.<\/p>\n

Rising Star Scholarships<\/em>\u00a0were awarded to\u00a0Maanya Gope<\/strong>\u00a0of Allentown, voice student of Julia Walsh; and\u00a0Paul Mansour<\/strong>\u00a0of Allentown, piano student of Evan Nelson.\u00a0Great Expectations Scholarships\u00a0<\/em>were awarded to\u00a0Shira Bach<\/strong>\u00a0of Allentown, piano student of Kelly Hooper; and\u00a0Naina Dey<\/strong>\u00a0of Allentown, classical guitar student of Joe Wagner.<\/p>\n

This year,\u00a0Schadt String Scholarships<\/em>\u00a0were awarded to four deserving students:\u00a0Siddharth Chitta<\/strong>\u00a0of Center Valley, violin student of Linda Kistler;\u00a0Abigail Dodd<\/strong>\u00a0of Coopersburg, violin student of Linda Kistler;\u00a0Rene Kim\u00a0<\/strong>of Allentown, violin student of Carolyn Gaul; and\u00a0Shriya Chitta<\/strong>\u00a0of Center Valley, violin student of Linda Kistler.\u00a0 CMS, in partnership with the Allentown Symphony Association awards this scholarship in memory of the Schadt brothers, Leigh and Edwin, who, early in their life, enjoyed playing the violin introduced to them by their father.\u00a0 The two boys attended Lincoln School on Walnut Street, went on to prep school at Muhlenberg, and both graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business in the 1920s. The Schadt brothers became successful Allentown businessmen and established the Towne Auto Company on Linden Street. Their father was a self-taught violinist and wanted his sons to learn to play the instrument that he loved. Although Leigh and Edwin did not become violinists themselves, they kept their father’s interest alive by establishing a trust to provide financial aid to promising young violin students.<\/p>\n

Samuel Truong<\/strong>\u00a0of Allentown was recognized as the\u00a02024-25 Martha Maletz Scholar.<\/em>\u00a0 This scholarship honors CMS founder, Martha Maletz, who provided for a scholarship in her will. Martha passed away in 2019 at age 96, and her adult children donated funds to further support an annual scholarship in her name. The Martha Maletz Scholarship honors a CMS student of impressive merit and extraordinary potential whose family also has financial need. This full scholarship covers the cost of private piano lessons at CMS during the 2024-25 school year.\u00a0 Samuel is 12 years old and in the 7th grade at Bethlehem Christian School.\u00a0 He has been playing piano for 8 years and takes lessons with Kelly Hooper.\u00a0 In addition to piano, he enjoys ice skating. In the future, Samuel plans to go to college.<\/p>\n

At the Year-End Recital on June 2, 2024,\u00a0Naomi Herrera\u00a0<\/strong>of Allentown will also be recognized as the 2024-25 Amaranth Scholar for the second year in a row.\u00a0 The Amaranth Foundation Scholarship is awarded to a CMS student who demonstrates a high potential for achieving excellence in music education and who is a member of a CMS family with documented financial need.\u00a0 The Amaranth Foundation was founded by Joan Miller Moran and supports arts-related programming and organizations, including Community Music School.\u00a0 Naomi is 15 years old and in 10th<\/sup> grade at William Allen High School.\u00a0 She has been studying piano for 8 years and takes lessons with Kathy Anthony.\u00a0 She also studies violin and voice and is involved with the WAHS marching band, orchestra, jazz band, and choir.\u00a0 \u201cI want to thank my current teachers for teaching me how to build a passion for music. It has built so much of who I am and want to be, and I\u2019m very grateful.\u201d\u00a0 In the future, she plans to go to college to study music.<\/p>\n

Learn more about the Gala Auditions & Recital at\u00a0<\/strong>https:\/\/cmslv.org\/galarecital2024\/<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Watch the 2024 Gala Recital on the CMS YouTube Channel at\u00a0<\/strong>https:\/\/youtu.be\/_UhNJ0F3lfI<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n