Eleven instrumentalists and vocalists selected as finalists for the annual Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation Competition Concert will compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships on Sunday, April 28th.
The foundation's audition committee selected the finalists during auditions held April 5 and 6 at Weinman Hall at the Music Academy of the West in Montecito. A total of 24 adults and young people competed for the right to participate in the finals.
The final concert will be held on April 28th at 3pm, also at the Academy of Music. The event is free to attend, but reservations are recommended as seats are limited.
Established in 1982, the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation (PASF) provides financial aid to deserving vocal and instrumental music students in Santa Barbara County.
The annual competition encourages young musicians to strive for excellence and supports their development as performers. Finalists will compete for scholarships totaling more than $27,000.
This year's adult instrumentalist finalist is 25-year-old viola player Cam Audras, who is studying for a master's degree in viola performance at UCSB (taught by Valerie Malvini). Noel Hadsall (15 years old), a pianist and winner of the PASF 2021 junior instrumental music category, attends Dos Pueblos High School (teacher Pascal Salomon). and 23-year-old Tiffany Yin, a pianist studying for a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance at UCSB (her teacher is Dr. Charles Ash).
Junior instrumentalist finalists include three students from Dos Pueblos High School. Mr. Leon Guo (15 years old, piano, teacher Lana Bodnar). Jiyu Kim Jeong, 15 years old, piano (teacher Miroslava Kisilevich). and Joey Malvinni, 16, guitar (teacher: Dr. David Malvinni).
The other finalists are pianist Matvej Iofe (15 years old), a student of Maestro Jacobo Giacopuzzi, and viola player Henry Woodruff (16 years old), who attends the Colburn School (Mr. Ten Li).
The finalists in the vocal music category are Lorenzo Johnson Jr., 27, a tenor (teacher Benjamin Bretcher) who is studying for a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in vocal performance at UCSB. Eva Kimmel, 22, soprano at Westmont College (her teacher is Christina Ramsey). Zeni Tsiuvalas, 28, is a mezzo-soprano and graduated from the Manhattan School of Music (teacher Agatha Calvia and James Pratt).
Several students who were not shortlisted received incentive awards totaling $2,000. This year's audition committee members were Deborah Bartling, Erin Bonsky-Evans, Neil DiMaggio, and Kristin Pacheco-Bernt.
To reserve your seat for the April 28 competition concert, please contact Deborah Bertling at pasfsb@pasfsb.org or 805-898-0941.
For more information about PASF, visit pasfsb.org.