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.

A violin student auditions before a panel of judges for a scholarship to Community Music School.

Deadline: Monday, April 15, 2024
Auditions: Saturday, April 27, 2024, time TBA
Gala Recital: Saturday, May 11, 2024

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

On Sunday, May 21, 2023, Community Music School (CMS) held the annual Gala Recital & Scholarship Awards in the Dorothy H. Baker Recital Hall at CMS. Pictured are CMS Executive Director Jeff Reed (far right) and CMS Assistant Director Lisa Kulp (far left) with the 2023 Gala Scholarship recipients: (front l-r) Sebastian Santiago, Emily Ma, Siddharth Chitta, Rene Kim, (back l-r) Maanya Gope, Harmony John, Isaac Sharma, Aanya Sharma, Shriya Chitta, and Ceiran Magee.

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

Naomi Herrera (center) was also recognized as the 2023-24 Amaranth Scholar for her outstanding dedication to her studies in piano, violin, and voice, here at CMS. Also pictured are Executive Director Jeff Reed (left), and Naomi’s piano teacher, Kathy Anthony (right). The Amaranth Foundation Scholarship is awarded to a CMS student who demonstrates a high potential for achieving excellence in music education and whose family has documented financial need. The Amaranth Foundation was founded by Joan Miller Moran and supports arts-related programming and organizations, including Community Music School.

Read the full 2023 Gala Recital news release.

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, violin, piano, saxophone
student of Carolyn Gaul, Kathy Anthony, Seval Kanik

2022 Gala Judges at Community Music School Thank you to our 2022 Gala Judges: Kaylee Santanello, Director of Middle School Orchestras, Parkland School District; Dave Matsinko, retired educator and folk musician; and Patrice Kidd, retired Director of Music, Moravian Academy Middle School.

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.