Friends of O.C. Pops Reward Student Musicians

The Friends of The Ocean City Pops awarded prizes to eight students in the second annual Esther C. Weil Student Music Competition on May 15 on the Ocean City Music Pier.

Eighteen students in grades 9 to 12 and enrolled in eight high schools in Atlantic and Cape May counties competed. They qualified based on their talent, outstanding credentials, and recommendations from their music teachers. The competitors were made up of 11 vocalists and seven instrumentalists (including two pianists).

A total of eight students were awarded prizes: first, second, third, and — because of an anonymous donation from an audience member — a fourth.

The competition was adjudicated by Nancy Fox, founder and director of Fox Vocal Arts; Olga Konopelsky, concertmaster of the Ocean City Pops Orchestra; and William Scheible, artistic director and conductor of the Ocean City Pops.

First place (a cash prize of $1,000 and a performance with the Ocean City Pops this summer) went to Egg Harbor Township student Alexander Bui for his piano performance of George Gershwin’s, “Rhapsody in Blue.”

The vocalist awarded first place was Amanda Leonetti, of Ocean City High School, who performed a Pucccini favorite, “O mio babbino caro.”

In second place (cash prize of $500) was Tyler Sarfert of Oakcrest High School for his performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Bumble Bee” on the marimba.  The second-place vocalist was Ocean City High student Carley DelSordo, who performed Jerome Kern’s “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man.”

Third place awards ($250 cash prize) were given to Buena Regional student Daisy Greenwell for her performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s, “Concerto for Trombone”, and Ocean City High student Matthew Caulfield for his vocal performance of “This Nearly Was Mine” by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

The newly added fourth place award (a cash prize of $125 donated by an audience member) went to guitarist Carlos Bedoya of Oakcrest High School who performed Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez.” The awarded vocalist was Kristina Sakhan of Buena Regional High School, who sang Morricone’s “Nella Fantasia.”

High schools represented in the competition included: Buena Regional, Charter TECH High School for the Performing Arts, Egg Harbor Township, Mainland Regional, Middle Township, Oakcrest, Ocean City and Wildwood high schools.

The competition is part of the student outreach program sponsored by the Friends of the Ocean City Pops.

— News release from Jonathan Slawson