Liam Harrington and Eric Zeng were recently named the grand prize winners of the 2016 BRASS Ring student music competition.
Sponsored by the nonprofit BRASS (Beaches Residents Actively Supporting the Symphony), the BRASS Ring is an annual music competition for Beaches-area students in grades 4 through 12. Students competed in four divisions by grade level: Division IV – 4th -6th, Division III – 7th -8th, Division II – 9th -10th and Division I – 11th-12th.
Harrington, a senior, studies violin with Melissa Barrett. Zeng, a freshman, studies piano with Peggy Edwards. As grand prize winners, each received a $500 music scholarship and earned the title of 2016 BRASS/Jacksonville Symphony Music Scholar. The winners performed at the recent BRASS Annual Dinner and Gala as well as at an April 23 recital held at St. Paul’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Jacksonville Beach. They will also represent BRASS and the Jacksonville Symphony at various functions throughout the 2016-2017 year.
BRASS awarded its Karen B. Boling Memorial Scholarship to Grace Remmer. She will receive tuition to study the viola for up to four weeks at a summer music camp of her choosing.
Division winners
Students who won medals in their BRASS Ring division competitions include: Division IV Piano: 1st Alexandra Lin, 2nd Katrina Kirov; Division III Piano: 1st Zachary Yu, 2nd Dahlia Kirov; Division III Voice: Bianca Fasanelli; Division II Piano: 1st Eric Zeng, 2nd Chadrick Schwipper, honorable mention Harrison Snowden and Sadie Pichelmann; Division II Orchestral Instruments: 1st Amanda Friedman, 2nd Brianna Howard; Division I Piano: 1st Skylar Derr, 2nd Remy Van Nostrand; Division I Violin: 1st Liam Harrington, 2nd Jacob Whitney. Runner up for the BRASS Karen B. Boling Memorial Scholarship was Breanna Lang.
Each student prepared and memorized two classical or original pieces and received written remarks from the judges. Judges were Nathan Aspinall, assistant conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony; Scott C. Gregg, music director and principal conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra; Lorraine Roettges, flutist and director of leadership giving for the Jacksonville Symphony; and Arjola Miruku, pianist, winner of the 2000 BRASS Ring, and founder and director of PLAY Academy of Arts.
