Image Caption: Recipients of the 2026 CMS Gala Scholarships and Awards
ALLENTOWN, PA (May 17, 2026) – Community Music School hosted the 2026 Gala Recital and Scholarship Awards in the Dorothy H. Baker Recital Hall at 1544 Hamilton Street. Over 20 students performed select pieces on piano, violin, flute, and tuba, then 15 students were recognized with awards and scholarships for the 2026-2027 year of lessons.
Each spring, CMS faculty recommend their highest performing students at all levels for an audition before an independent panel of judges. The judges evaluate each student’s musical performance and determine a total audition score based on tone, technique, accuracy, interpretation, and musical effect. This year’s judges were Jennie Flicker, Mitchell Hourt, and Kaylee Santanello.
Students with the highest scores in the auditions performed during the Gala Recital. Following are the talented performers of this year’s recital:
Beckham Anderson, piano
Shira Bach, piano
Alexander Bernini, piano
Elena Bernini, piano
Jacob Bernini, piano
Charles Bond, violin
Drew Bui, piano
Elona Judge, piano
Annette Kim, violin
Rene Kim, violin
Phelps Lozana, piano
Amaris Minier, violin
Liam Pammer, piano
C.J. Ray, tuba
Sebastian Santiago-Ocasio, piano
Elsia Schmitt, piano
Aanya Sharma, flute
Samuel Truong, piano
Aaliyah Vizcarrondo, piano
Among these outstanding students, several exceptional students also received merit-based scholarships for CMS lessons in 2025-2026:
Muriel I. Frank Scholarship – Elsia Schmitt, piano
Jerome & Martha Markowitz Scholarship – Liam Pammer, piano
Joseph Maletz Scholarship – Aanya Sharma, flute
Martin Spiro Scholarship – Phelps Lozana, piano
Schadt String Scholarship – Siddharth Chitta, violin; Rene Kim, violin; Amaris Minier, violin
Amaranth Scholar – Charles Bond, violin
Martha Maletz Scholar – Samuel Truong, piano
Great Expectations Scholarship – Beckham Anderson, piano
Rising Star Scholarship – Alexander Bernini, piano; Elona Judge, piano; Aaliyah Vizcarrondo, piano
In addition to our scholarship awards, we give special recognition to graduating high school seniors who performed in the Gala Recital. Our graduating high school seniors this year were Shira Bach on piano and C.J. Ray on tuba.
Shira has been playing the piano for 13 years and studies with Kelly Hooper. After graduating from Kohelet Yeshiva High School this spring, she plans to attend Princeton University.
C.J. has been playing the tuba for 12 years and studies with Matthew Blanchard. After graduating from Parkland High School this spring, C.J. plans to attend Purdue University and major in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering.
We wish our high school graduates success and happiness as they head off to college and future careers!
Congratulations again to our performers and scholarship and award recipients!
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Learn more about the Gala Auditions & Recital at https://cmslv.org/resources/student-resources/gala-auditions/
View the Gala Recital Program: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x9H3joMUYWC9CZXn-vNhlbUykUsmVJBu/view?usp=sharing
Learn more about the 2026 Gala Recital at https://cmslv.org/gala-recital-2026/
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About CMS: Community Music School (CMS) – Lehigh Valley & Berks is a nonprofit charitable organization that provides the inspiration and opportunity for anyone in our diverse community to achieve excellence in music education and appreciate the transformative power of music. Our professional teachers provide private lessons, group classes, and summer camps to students of all ages, from toddlers to seniors, in piano, strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, voice, and recording technology; both in-person and online. Thanks to support from our philanthropic community for over 42 years, CMS has provided students in the Lehigh Valley with the life-long benefits of a quality music education and free performance opportunities. Our main office and studios are located in the former Lehigh Valley Social Club at historic 1544 Hamilton Street in Allentown, PA where we offer 14 lesson rooms of varying sizes, a unique parent lounge, early childhood room, music library, administrative offices, state-of-the-art recording studio, and a 150-seat recital hall. Our CMS Berks satellite studio is located in Reading, PA at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts.
Learn more at https://cmslv.org/
Make a donation at https://communitymusicschool-bloom.kindful.com/