Gala Auditions & Scholarships
Each spring, CMS teachers recommend a limited number of high-performing students for Gala Auditions before an independent panel of judges, who evaluate their musical performance in the categories of tone, technique, accuracy, interpretation, and musical effect appropriate for their level of study. Students with the highest scores are invited to perform in the Gala Recital, and may receive merit-based scholarships toward continued study at CMS.
Accompaniment Request Deadline: Monday, March 31, 2025
Deadline: Monday, April 14, 2025
Auditions: Saturday, April 26, 2025 (9:00 AM – 1:00 PM)
Gala Recital: Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 4:00 PM
2024 Gala Recital Performers & Scholarship Recipients
Students with the highest scores in the auditions were invited to perform in the 2024 Gala Recital on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Congratulations!
🌟 2024 CMS GALA PERFORMERS 🌟
ALPHABETICALLY BY LAST NAME
Shira Bach, piano
Drew Bui, piano
Siddharth Chitta, violin
Shriya Chitta, violin
Naina Dey, classical guitar
Jonathan Do, piano
Abigail Dodd, violin
Maanya Gope, voice
Harmony John, piano
Rene Kim, violin
Phelps Lozana, piano
Emily Ma, piano
Ceiran Magee, piano
Paul Mansour, piano
Aiden de Mesa, piano
Liam Pammer, piano
Sebastian Santiago, piano
Isaac Sharma, flute
Solomon Trotter, piano
Samuel Truong, piano
Ezra Wilson, piano
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. 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.
Among these outstanding students, the following exceptional students with the highest scores also received merit-based partial scholarships for CMS lessons in 2024-2025:
🌟 2024 CMS Gala Scholarship Recipients 🌟
Jerome & Martha Markowitz Scholarship
Harmony John, piano
student of Kelly Hooper
Joseph Maletz Scholarship
Liam Pammer, piano
student of Marissa Amphay
Muriel I. Frank Scholarship
Isaac Sharma, flute
student of Elaine Martin
Joseph P. Schermerhorn Scholarship
Solomon Trotter, piano
student of Abigail Zuckert
Rising Star Scholarship
Maanya Gope, voice
student of Julia K. Walsh
Rising Star Scholarship
Paul Mansour, piano
student of Evan Nelson
Great Expectations Scholarship
Shira Bach, piano
student of Kelly Hooper
Great Expectations Scholarship
Naina Dey, classical guitar
student of Joe Wagner
Schadt String Scholarship
Siddharth Chitta, violin
student of Linda Kistler
Schadt String Scholarship
Abigail Dodd, violin
student of Linda Kistler
Schadt String Scholarship
Rene Kim, violin
student of Carolyn Gaul
Schadt String Scholarship
Shriya Chitta, violin
student of Linda Kistler
Martha Maletz Scholar
Samuel Truong, piano
student of Kelly Hooper
Amaranth Scholar
Naomi Herrera, piano
student of Kathy Anthony
HS Senior Recognition
Ceiran Magee, piano
student of Kelly Hooper
We congratulate all these deserving students on their dedication to their music studies this year and look forward to their continued growth as musicians here at CMS.
We thank our 2024 Gala Judges:
Kaylee Santanello, former Director of Middle School Orchestras, Parkland School District; John Leiderman, Band Director & Music Teacher, Catasauqua Middle School; and Patrice Kidd, retired Director of Music, Moravian Academy Middle School
2023 Gala Recital Performers & Scholarship Recipients
Students with the highest scores in the 2023 Gala Auditions will perform in the Gala Recital on Sunday, May 21, 2023. Congratulations!
Alex Bernini, piano
Elena Bernini, piano
Charles Bond, violin
Matthew Brandle, piano
Siddharth Chitta, violin
Shriya Chitta, violin
Abby Dodd, violin
Maanya Gope, voice
Harmony John, piano
Annette Kim, violin
Rene Kim, violin
Emily Ma, piano
Ceiran Magee, violin, piano
Sebastian Santiago, piano
Aanya Sharma, flute
Isaac Sharma, flute
Among these outstanding students, the following exceptional students with the highest scores also received merit-based partial scholarships for CMS lessons in 2023-2024:
2023 CMS Gala Scholarship Recipients
Jerome & Martha Markowitz Scholarship
Isaac Sharma, flute
student of Elaine Martin
Muriel I. Frank Scholarship
Harmony John, piano
student of Kelly Hooper
Schadt String Scholarship
Siddharth Chitta, violin
student of Linda Kistler
Schadt String Scholarship
Shriya Chitta, violin
student of Linda Kistler
Schadt String Scholarship
Rene Kim, violin
student of Carolyn Gaul
Joseph Maletz Scholarship
Emily Ma, piano
student of Lynda Chen
Great Expectations Scholarship
Sebastian Santiago, piano
student of Kate Uhler
Great Expectations Scholarship
Maanya Gope, voice
student of Julia K. Walsh
Rising Star Scholarship
Aanya Sharma, flute
student of Elaine Martin
Maletz Scholar
Ceiran Magee, violin
student of Carolyn Gaul
Amaranth Scholar
Naomi Herrera, piano
student of Kathy Anthony
We congratulate all these deserving students on their dedication to their music studies this year and look forward to their continued growth as musicians here at CMS.
Thank you to our 2023 Gala Judges: Kaylee Santanello, Director of Middle School Orchestras, Parkland School District; Chris Klump, Band Director & Music Teacher at Notre Dame High School; and Patrice Kidd, retired Director of Music, Moravian Academy Middle School
2022 Gala Recital & Scholarships
, Students with the highest scores in the 2022 Gala Auditions performed at the Spring Brunch & Silent Auction Fundraiser at Lehigh Country Club on Sunday, June 12, 2022, and will receive merit-based scholarships to continue their music study at CMS. Congratulations!
Muriel I. Frank Scholarship
Jenna John, piano
student of Dr. Annie Tindall-Gibson
Jerome & Martha Markowitz Scholarship
Isaac Sharma, flute
student of Elaine Martin
Joseph Maletz Scholarship
Maanya Gope, voice
student of Julia Walsh
Great Expectations Scholarship
Shira Bach, piano
student of Carole Houghton
Rising Star Scholarship
Alexis Gabay-Ratner, voice
student of Julia Walsh
Rising Star Scholarship
Diya Soman, piano
student of Kathy Anthony
Rising Star Scholarship
Harmony John, piano
student of Carole Houghton
Rising Star Scholarship
Madeleine Barnett, piano
student of Carole Houghton
Schadt String Scholarship #1
Ananya Gope, violin
student of Linda Kistler
Schadt String Scholarship #2
Shriya Chitta, violin
student of Linda Kistler
Schadt String Scholarship #3
Rene Kim, violin
student of Sunny Murthy
Martha Maletz Scholarship
Sean Riedy, piano
student of Dr. David Saturen
Amaranth Scholarship
Ceiran Magee, piano, violin, saxophone
student of Kathy Anthony, Carolyn Gaul, Seval Kanik
Thank you to our 2022 Gala Judges: Dave Matsinko, retired educator and folk musician; Patrice Kidd, retired Director of Music, Moravian Academy Middle School; and Kaylee Santanello, Director of Middle School Orchestras, Parkland School District.
2019 Gala Recital & Scholarships
Merit-based scholarship awards were presented to the highest-scoring students for outstanding work during the 2019-20 school year:
Muriel I. Frank Scholarship – Megumi Takahashi, flute
Jerome & Martha Markowitz Scholarship – Grace Zhang, piano
Joseph Maletz Scholarship – Nicholas Brogle, clarinet
Amaranth Scholar – Sean Riedy, piano
Great Expectations Scholarship – Damien Zeltzman, piano
Rising Star Scholarship – Sabrina Collings, flute
Rising Star Scholarship – Bianca Georges, piano
Rising Star Scholarship – Daniel Soloviev, piano
Rising Star Scholarship – Jenna John, piano
Schadt String Scholarship – Rachele Grigoli, violin
Schadt String Scholarship – Shriya Chitta, violin
George R. Schermerhorn Family Fund Award
Dr. Holly Roadfeldt, piano
Recognition Graduating High School Seniors
Chloe Wilcox, violin
Julia Young, piano
2019 Gala Performers (alphabetically by last name): Emma Arakkal, violin; Shira Bach, piano; Nicholas Brogle, clarinet; Shriya Chitta, violin; Sabrina Collings, flute; Bianca Georges, piano; Rachele Grigoli, violin; Talitha Harry, piano; Erica Harvey, clarinet; Melody Herrera, piano; Naomi Herrera, piano; Jenna John, piano; Sean Riedy, piano; Julie Sizer, piano; Daniel Soloviev, piano; Niva Sullivan, piano; Megumi Takahashi, flute; Samuel Truong, piano; Sabrina Truong, piano; Chloe Wilcox, violin; Julia Young, piano; Damien Zeltzman, piano; Grace Zhang, piano. Students were accompanied by Dr. David Saturen and Dr. Tzu-Hwa Ho on piano. Selections included “Poem” by C. T. Griffes, “Grand Duo Con-certant, Mvt. 1” by C. M. von Weber, and “Concertino” by C. Chaminade.
Thank you to our 2019 Gala Judges: Lora Krum, Northwestern Lehigh School District music educator, Barry Holben, retired VP Sales at Allen Organ Company; and Nathan Eckhart, CFO at C. F. Martin & Co.