Garden City Friends of Music 2020 Outstanding Achievement Awards


Congratulations to the Garden City Friends of Music 2020 Outstanding Achievement Awards winners!

Garden City Friends of Music’s mission is to support music education and encourage the development of music skills in our children. Its annual membership drive and fundraisers enable it to make grants to Garden City schools to supplement and enhance the music programs. In addition to the Garden City Friends of Music scholarship award given to a graduating senior every year, students in fifth, eighth, and twelfth grades are recognized for outstanding achievement in the categories of Band, Orchestra, Vocal Music, and Electronic Music. This year, there are 13 award winners.

GARDEN CITY HIGH SCHOOL

Caroline Flanagan

Outstanding Achievement in Band

Caroline Flanagan is a hard working musician who divides her time between music, athletics, and academics. Throughout high school, Caroline has taken private lessons and performed in various ensembles. She has been recognized for her hard work with both All-County and All-State Honors. Aside from being a part of Dr. McCrann’s Wind Ensemble, Caroline has performed with Hofstra University and Five Towns College Ensembles alongside college level musicians. Caroline has been a part of the All County Festival for the past three years and performed in the Tilles Center Festival her sophomore year. Though her main focus is the French Horn, she has played several instruments over the years, including saxophone, trumpet, guitar, and piano. Caroline continues expanding her musical knowledge in any way she can. She will be double majoring in music performance and mechanical engineering at the University of Virginia in the fall.

Sarah Wu

Outstanding Achievement in Orchestra

Sarah Wu began playing violin in third-grade at Stewart. From there, she participated in All-County and Long Island String Festival for the next nine years and was also chosen for All-State Symphony Orchestra in her senior year. Currently, she is the concertmistress of both Chamber and school orchestra, and tutors nine students for violin from elementary to high school. She hopes to continue her passion for music by encouraging students in City Year and by playing the violin at Amherst College. She would like to thank Mrs. Gullotta for being such a passionate conductor, her parents for supporting her, and her brother for inspiring her to play.

Paul Stein

Outstanding Achievement in Vocal Music

At the Garden City Middle School, Paul starred in the productions of Annie Jr, Beauty and the Beast, and Grease. He also starred in the GCHS productions of Mamma Mia! and High School Musical. He has participated in the All-County Music Festival and NYSSMA multiple times in the past for Chorus. Paul was a member of the Tri-M Honors Society, Chamber Choir and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble at Garden City High School. He also performed with the 2018 All-State Chorus. He will be furthering his education and music career at Fordham University. He would like to thank the Friends of Music for this award.  

GARDEN CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL

James Nagler

Outstanding Achievement in Band

James is honored to receive the Outstanding Achievement in Band award for the Garden City Middle School.  James began studying piano at age 5 and added alto saxophone in the second grade, taking private lessons at the New World Music Center for the past nine years.  He has been elected to the All-County Band three times, earning the position of first chair for the alto saxophone section and has successfully completed level 6 of NYSSMA in the seventh grade.  He previously won the Outstanding Band Award for the Stewart School three years ago.  He has enjoyed playing in the middle school band under Ms. Iovino and performing on the keyboard at their last winter concert in December.  He is excited to continue his music studies in the wind ensemble under Dr. McCrann at the Garden City High School next year.  He thanks Ms. Iovino for this award.

Debbie Lieu

Outstanding Achievement in Electronic Music

Biography unavailable.

Tara Murphy

Outstanding Achievement in Orchestra

Tara Murphy began her musical journey in first grade with the piano. As a third grader, she began to play the violin in the Stewart School orchestra under the direction of Mr. Andrew Albani. Tara attended Usdan summer camp, where she performed in the orchestra as a violinist and has participated in multiple NYSSMA festivals. The East End Arts Summer Program provided her with the great honor of performing in a youth orchestra with renowned violinist and conductor Itzhak Perlman. Tara is currently the principal first violinist in the Garden City Middle School orchestra, led by Mrs. Margaret Gullotta, and is looking forward to playing the violin at Garden City High School in the fall. Tara would like to thank her parents for their support, as well as her school music instructors and private violin teachers, for they have greatly helped her to become a better musician. She is very grateful to the Garden City Friends of Music for this award.

Maria Gaztanaga

Outstanding Achievement in Vocal Music

Maria Gaztañaga started taking voice lessons in fourth grade. Ever since, she has been participating in many singing activities. She was part of the GCMS chorus, festival chorus, and spring musical all three years. Maria also participated in NYSSMA every year and All County in some years. During the summer Maria usually goes to the John Engeman Theatre camp where she performed in various productions. Maria has taken part in many cabaret workshops in the city through the years at “Don’t Tell Mama”. Maria is part of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra (MYO) chorus. She participated in the MYO Concerto and Vocal Competition in 2019 and 2020 and has gotten third place and second place. In addition Maria has sung at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Citi Field and many more places as a member of MYO. Maria’s hopes to continue singing through High School.

STEWART SCHOOL

Samantha Racich

Outstanding Achievement in Band

Samantha’s interest in music began in 4th grade with the trombone under the direction Mr. Psenicka’s Band Ensemble at Stewart School. During the past two years at Stewart School, Samantha has participated in the Pops Band program and Select Chorus in addition to her commitment to the Band.   She also studied piano during this time and participated in the NYSSMA Festival for both piano and trombone.   She was selected and participated in the All-County Nassau Division I West Band.   She just completed her last year at Stewart School and looks forward to joining the Garden City Middle School Band in the Fall.

Edward McCoyd

Outstanding Achievement in Orchestra

Eddie McCoyd, a violinist who just finished 5th grade, was the concert master of the Stewart School Orchestra in 2019-2020, and received the Friends of Music Award for Outstanding Achievement in Orchestra. Eddie attended NYSSMA last year, and performed in the 2020 All County Music Festival. He was also selected to perform at the Long Island String Festival Association’s annual concert. He is currently a member of the Sinfonia Orchestra of the Children’s Orchestra Society, and performed at Carnegie Hall last summer. Eddie also plays piano and guitar, and sings, in a band ensemble at the Music Academy Foundation in Garden City, and he played the role of Papageno in the Stewart School opera show The Magic Flute. In addition to music, he loves math, swimming, reading, skiing, playing Xbox, and riding his bike with his friends.

Azra Zırhlı

Outstanding Achievement in Vocal Music

Azra Zirhli began her interest in music with listening to classical and jazz music at a very young age. She started to play cello in the summer of  3rd grade. She joined the Stewart Orchestra in 4th grade, and she played the first chair when she was in 5th grade. She also wanted  to try singing, so she joined the audition for Stewart School’s  5th Grade Magic Flute Opera  and she got the “Queen Of The Night” role. Her inspirations are her orchestra teacher Mr. Albani, chorus teacher Mr. Boulay, Yo-Yo MA, Luka Sulic, Apocalyptica, The Beatles, Norah Jones, Nina Simone.    

STRATFORD SCHOOL

Hunter Burns

Outstanding Achievement in Band

Hunter Burns (11) has been playing drums since 2017 after receiving a drum kit from a family friend who had moved onto college. Hunter found his passion and loves playing percussion. He played with the Stratford Band and morning Pops Band. He has participated in the NYSSMA Festival and performed in the Nassau All County Band.  He thanks his Stratford Band teacher Ms. Kane and his private teacher Chris Tibaldi for their continued encouragement and inspiration and for strengthening his love of music.  

Juliet Stampfel

Outstanding Achievement in Orchestra

 

Juliet Stampfel expressed interest in the violin in 3rd grade and began taking private lessons at home in preparation of joining the Stratford Orchestra in 4th grade. She quickly developed a love of playing and excelled under the direction and inspiration of Mr. Albani. Juliet continued her dedication to the violin by joining the Stratford String Ensemble in 5th grade, requiring early morning rehearsals. She participated in the NYSSMA Festival for violin in 2019 and was honored to be selected to represent Stratford School at the NMEA All-County Music Festival this past January. Juliet is looking forward to continuing to play violin in the GCMS Orchestra in the fall.

Genevieve Mohan

Outstanding Achievement in Vocal Music

Genevieve “Evie” Mohan was born singing and performing. She began attending West Hampton Beach Performing Arts summer camps after kindergarten, and has enjoyed every play she was cast in. In Stratford School her love of singing took off, Mrs. Lavin, Mr. Gomm and Miss Sack helped to develop her vocal and performance skills. This year Evie participated in All County Chorus and was Scar in the Moon Cast of the Lion King Kids. Evie is a Chorister at the Cathedral of the Incarnation and thanks Mr. Larry Tremsky and Mr. Colin MacKnight for encouraging her and her fellow Choristers to have fun while pushing their musicianship to new levels. Evie thanks her voice teachers, Mrs. Kelly Grace-who helped her to prepare for her role as Scar, All Country Chorus and NYSSMA and Connor Lidell from the Cathedral who continued to give Zoom voice lessons during the pandemic. Evie looks forward to being a member of the GCMS Festival Choir, continuing to play Bass in the Orchestra (thank you Mr. Albani!), singing at the Cathedral and auditioning for the school play.

  • James Nagler

    James Nagler

  • Genevieve Mohan

    Genevieve Mohan

  • Juliet Stampfel

    Juliet Stampfel

  • Hunter Burns

    Hunter Burns

  • Azra Zirhli

    Azra Zirhli

  • Edward McCoyd

    Edward McCoyd

  • Samantha Racich

    Samantha Racich

  • Maria Gaztanaga

    Maria Gaztanaga

  • Tara Murphy

    Tara Murphy

  • Paul Stein

    Paul Stein

  • Sarah Wu

    Sarah Wu

Leave a Reply