The Naples Music Club Scholarship Program began in 1970 with one small grant awarded to a Collier County student for summer study. In 2008, 28 music scholarships totaling $18,000 were awarded at the conclusion of a Scholarship Winners’ Recital held May 4 to Collier County middle and high school winners of the annual day-long Student Scholarship Competition, which took place in 2008 on April 19. The scholarships are used for summer music camp, private music lessons, and college tuition.

Alan Gao Wins the Turiel, the top prize in 2008 Competition!

Alan Gao, a high school senior who attends The Community School, won both the Turiel Award, the Naples Music Club’s top prize given to a 12th grader each year, and the Senior Strings Division, in the Naples Music Club’s Scholarship Competition held April 19, 2008.

The prestigious Turiel award is given each year to a 12th grader who demonstrates musical achievement, scholastic accomplishments, community service and who has either a career or strong avocation to music in their future plans.

Born into a family of musicians, Alan began his musical training at the age of 3. Besides excelling on his chosen instrument, the violin, he also achieved high grades in academic courses throughout his school years, competing in state level math competitions as well as in music competitions. His plans are to attend the University of Michigan, where he has been accepted in the University’s Honor College. He hopes to form a string quartet there under the guidance of their faculty and looks forward to taking violin lessons from their renowned teachers.

Alan has won many honors and awards. In the Naples Music Club Competition, he has won 1st place in the strings category every years since 2001. He has performed as soloist and won 1st place for many years in the strings division of the Southwest Florida Young Artist Competition and has won the Naples Philharmonic Concerto Competition many times, performing major violin concertos 8 times with the orchestra. Alan also has served as organizer, host, founder and performer for a benefit concert for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Below are excerpts from a letter he wrote to express his thanks to the Club.

“Let’s take a walk down Memory Lane, the path of our history together. I remember my first audition as a 11-year-old 6th grader. The mysterious judges sat at a table ready with their pencils to log any kind of error or flaw that their professional ears picked up. It was a nerve wracking experience, but as the years moved on, and as I started becoming more involved with the Music Club, whether it was the Scholarship Audition or the Winners’ Recital or even a fund raiser concert with my family, I realized that the Music Club was, in fact, a magnificent group dedicated to helping kids like me. The appreciation I have for the Naples Music Club is indescribable. They have funded my future, as well as that of many others, and the example they set for the community is one of honor, dedication and nobility.”

Read Alan’s list of honors and awards.
Read the essay Alan wrote to apply for the Turiel.
View Alan playing Sibelius in the Scholarship Winners’ Recital on YouTube.

2008 Winners in all categories

Photos

Junior Strings:
• Jared Blajian, cello, Oak Ridge Middle School
• McClaran Hayes, violin, Pine Ridge Middle School
• Joseph Peliska, guitar, home schooled
• Nathaniel Cornell, violin, Pine Ridge Middle School

Junior Woodwinds:
• Katie Nunner, flute, North Naples Middle School
• Cobby Brzeski, flute, Gulf View Middle School

Junior Piano:
• Hannah Feng, North Naples Middle School
• Jennifer Wu, Oak Ridge Middle School
• Shirlynn Chu, East Naples Middle School
• Kevin Boyd, Oak Ridge Middle School

Senior Strings:
• Alan Gao, violin, Clifford L. Saby Award, Community School
• Natasha Marsalli, violin, home schooled
• Brandis Godwin, violin, Naples High School
• Name withheld upon request
• Simone Nageon DeLestang, Naples High School

Senior Woodwinds:
• Nicole Pavlisin, flute, Clifford L. Saby Award, Gulf Coast High School
• Kelsey Owens, flute, Gulf Coast High School
• Kelsey Condon, flute, Barron Collier High School
• Kimberlyn Eubanks, flute, Gulf Coast High School

Senior Piano:
• Yvonne Jiang, Clifford L. Saby Award, Barron Collier High School
• Kevin Hung, Barron Collier High School
• Christian Stahlman, Barron Collier High School

Senior Voice:
• Nancy Flewelling, Mary Liz Auburn Award, Naples High School
• Laura Chami, Barron Collier High School

Senior Brass and Percussion:
• Alexander Hayes, euphonium, Barron Collier High School
• Ronald Frederick, marimba, Immokalee High School
• Christian Ostolaza, percussion, Barron Collier High School
• Joseph Coleman, trumpet, Barron Collier High School
• Jon Coulter, French Horn, Barron Collier High School

Turiel Award Winner: Alan Gao, violin

2008 and 2009 Scholarship Packages

As a resource, the 2008 Scholarship Package, containing competition rules and requirements, information about the use of scholarship awards and how to claim them, and an application for those in grades 6 through 12, will remain on line until the 2009 Scholarship Package is available in January of 2009. Should you have problems accessing this material, please contact 2008 Scholarship Chair Marilyn Bogen, 239-514-0343.

New Student Recital Program to prepare students for Competition

Students of Naples Music Club members will be eligible to participate in Club-sponsored recitals to be held in November, January and March, according to Student Recital Chairman Jan Grundeman.

This program is being developed to help students build confidence and develop stage presence, to encourage students at an early age to enhance their ability to memorize music for performance, and to provide an opportunity for students to develop their listening skills as they hear other students perform.

It is expected that these student recitals will provide invaluable experience for those planning to compete in the Club’s Scholarship Competition, which is being planned for Saturday, April 18, 2009, at Golden Gate High School. Winners will perform at a special Scholarship Winners’ Recital on Sunday, May 3 at 2:00 p.m. at Golden Gate High School.

For more information about the new Student Recital program, please contact Jan Grundeman by phone at (239) 353-2216 or by email at musicinfo@naplesmusicclub.org.

Those music teachers who are not currently members of the Naples Music Club and would like to join should visit the Membership section of this Website where a Membership Application is available for downloading.

Contributions to Fund Scholarships

Scholarship funds awarded are made possible through the generosity of many members and friends in the community. We invite your participation. Contribution Form