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| 2008 Conservatory Scholarship Recipients |
| Kate Kelley | 5/27/08 |
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An unprecedented twelve students received gracious financial gifts in the form of full scholarships to attend Conservatory Music in the Mountains this July.
The scholarships, awarded by Music in the Mountains, are generously funded by Citizens Bank Pagosa Springs. Seven of the recipients have attended the conservatory in previous years, also having received scholarships funded by local donors whose desire is to further the training of young musicians here in Pagosa Springs. Continued...
The scholarship winners, eleven of whom are students of stringed instrument instructor Kate Kelley and one a student of Bethany Wanket, will participate in the conservatory which is held each summer at Fort Lewis College in Durango.
Bethany Wanket (16) has studied violin for nearly six years and will participate in the two-week Concert Orchestra division of the Conservatory String Program. She has been a Conservatory Music in the Mountains scholarship recipient for two previous years.
Joining Bethany will be Courtney Spears (14) who has also studied violin for six years. She is the daughter of Will and Christie Spears. Courtney also has been awarded Conservatory Music scholarships previously. This is her second year to take part in the Concert Orchestra program.
 Also participating in the Concert Orchestra this year is Megan Davey(13), daughter of Tom and Julie Davey. Megan has studied violin for two years and received a scholarship last summer to participate in the Kids with Strings Attached program.
A three-year student of the violin, Zoe Rohrich (12) is the daughter of Matt and Tamsin Rohrich. Her sister, Hannah, who is 11 and the only cellist in the group, has studied for just eighteen months. Both girls received scholarships last year for Kids with Strings Attached and this year will be taking part in the Concert Orchestra.
Seven young Pagosa Springs violinists will attend a second facet of the conservatory titled Kids with Strings Attached. This program seeks to develop students’ basic skills including beginning music theory and performance opportunities.
Attending the two-week workshop will be Tyler (12) and Madison (9) Greenly, son and daughter of Tom and Julie Greenly. This is Tyler’s and Madison’s second year studying the Suzuki Violin Method and their second year as scholarship winners as well.
Maddy Davey, 11, also the daughter of Tom and Julie Davey, has studied violin using the Suzuki Method for just seven months. This is her first Music in the Mountains scholarship award.
Jaken Babbitt ( 12), son of Rodney and Chrissy Babbitt, is a first-year student of Bethany Wanket, herself a student of Kelley’s. He began taking lessons last October ans is a first-time scholarship recipient.
Rounding out the group of young violinists are three brothers—Daniel (12), Josiah (9) and Levi (6) Cabrera. They are the three oldest sons of Ralph and Aimee Cabrera who came to Pagosa from Phoenix, Arizona last September. Aimee is a local piano instructor. Ralph is also a highly accomplished pianist.
These Pagosa string players will join more than 150 students from various places in the United States and around the world to study in the recital rooms at Fort Lewis College with exceptionally fine music educators who also perform with the Music in the Mountains Festival orchestra. Along with excellent private and small group instruction, the students are given opportunities to perform as soloists and in ensembles.
Music in the Mountains is best known for its summer classical music concerts. But as these scholarships make it clear, a vital part of the mission of the Pagosa festival is to enhance the Pagosa music community by providing financial support for its music students so they may take advantage of unique learning opportunities such as Conservatory Music in the Mountains.
“We build our musicians one note at a time and one performance after another so that their appreciation for classical music becomes deeply instilled in them for a lifetime,” said Arkady Fomin, founder and artistic director of the conservatory.
Volunteer co-chairs of the scholarship committee, Teresa Huft and Janis Moomaw, are delighted at the prospect of seeing these students advance in their music experience. Moomaw commented, “Last year's conservatory students, their parents and their teacher were all very enthusiastic about their experience and are looking forward to returning..... all reported the progress made in their class was "phenomenal" and their skill levels and enthusiasm for music improved.”
From a student’s point of view, Megan Davey shared this: “The teachers are friendly, the camp is fun, and I would be sad if I couldn't go because I learn so much there; so I am very thankful for my scholarship, and my sister's scholarship too. I know she’s going to love it.” |
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