2010 Outstanding Achievement Awards
Garden City Middle School
Caitlin Gallant
Outstanding Achievement for Band
Caitlin Gallant was the year’s recipient of the Outstanding achievement Award for Band at the Garden City Middle School. Throughout her years at the middle school, she played the trombone and euphonium in Concert Band, Jazz Band, andMarching Band. She also performed in Division III All-County during her 8th grade year. She was recently accepted into the GCHS Wind Ensemble along with three other freshmen and will continue playing the trombone there as well as in theGCHS Marching Band. Caitlin owes much of her success to her wonderful instructorsJen Iovino and Martha Boonshaft who have always encouraged her to strive to do her best.
Sydney Adams
Outstanding Achievement Award for Electronic Music
Sydney Adams was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award for Electronic Music which was presented by the Garden City Friends of Music. Sydney has studied classical piano at the Bottazzi School of music for nine years and she has performed in over fifty concerts including seven concerts at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.
Sydney was also the recipient of Long Island Language Teachers Award for Superior Achievement in French, Garden City Middle School Community Service Award, and the Garden City Middle School Lawson Robertson Memorial Award.
Sydney is a member of the National Junior Honor Society. She has studied classical ballet at the academy of Dance for nine years and she is member of the Garden City High school fencing Team.
Sydney is currently a freshman at Garden City High School.
Teresa Pietromonaco
Outstanding Achievement for Orchestra
Teresa Pietromonaco began playing violin at age 3, and piano at age 5 at the Suzuki School. She has studied with Mrs. Nicoile DiCecco for 11 years, and with Mrs. Margarita Epshteyn for 9 years. She has performed numerous concerts both as a soloist and as part of New York Young Musician’s Ensemble Orchestra atQueensborough Community College, Flushing Town Hall, Steinway Hall, The Donnell Library, and Lincoln Center. Her other accomplishments include scoring Outstanding at NYSSMA for 7 years both on piano and violin, participating in All County and The Long Island String Festival on violin for the past 4 years, being the lead role in the Opera La Boheme at the Stewart School, and most recently she was the lead role for The Music Box Players’ Production of Aladdin at the Garden City Middle School. In June of 2009 she went on tour in Athens, Greece with The New York Young Musician’s Ensemble.
Justin Gong
Outstanding achievement for Orchestra
Justin Gong has been playing the violin since the age of 4. He has played NYSMMA level 6 for the past 5 years and had a perfect score in 2010. Justin plays for the Principal Orchestra of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra (MYO). He performed atCarnegie Hall with MYO during the last two seasons. Justin also plays the Alto Saxophone and will join the Nassau-Suffolk Jazz Band in the fall. He will attend the Garden city High School next year and will participate in orchestra and Wind Ensemble. Justin is honored to receive he Outstanding achievement Award for Orchestra from the friends of Music.
Leila Balady
Outstanding Achievement in Vocal Music
Leila has always had a keen interest in music – both vocal and instrumental. She sang as a toddler; and often arranged “family productions” in which she led relatives in shows that were as enjoyable as they were high quality.
She learned to play the flute in primary school, and has quickly mastered the guitar.
Whether as a star soloist or helping her music teachers behind the scenes; Leila brings music to life and thus encourages all around her to enjoy it!
She plans to continue her involvement in music as she entersSacred Heart Academy in the Fall.
Amy Messina
Outstanding Achievement in Vocal Music
When I was about 9 years old I found my love for music and singing after being in the 5th grade play Jungle Book. Ever since then singing is part of who I am. In Middle school Mrs. Kleemann and Mr. Mayo helped me immensely. They taught me a lot of new interesting techniques and rules of music. NYSSMA was very nerve racking but enjoyable at the same time. It helped build my confidence and love for music. Being in Honk Jr., High School Musical, and Aladdin Jr. in the Middle School was an opportunity to build new relationships with many other students and teachers. I attended the Music Academy of Garden City which I took piano, guitar, mandolin, and vocal classes. I had great teachers that helped me in the music world.
Stewart School
Caroline Kaczynski
Outstanding Achievement For Band
Caroline Kaczynski is ten and half years old and will be entering 6th grade at Garden City Middle School in the fall. She has been playing the trombone for 2 years and was selected to participate in the 2010 All County Division Music Festival. Caroline has participated in NYSSMA in both the fourth and fifth grades and was a member of the Stewart School Band and Jazz Band. Caroline also enjoys soccer, golf, track and art.
Andrea Choi
Outstanding Achievement Orchestra
Andrea Choi was awarded with the Outstanding achievement in Orchestra Award from the Garden City friends of Music. Andrea became interested in music when she was five, and started taking piano lessons. She was introduced to orchestra in third grade and she chose violin as her string instrument. Having studied the basic skills in music from when she was younger, Andrea has an advantage in progressing when she learns violin. In fourth grade, Andrea started taking private lessons and took NYSSMA for violin level three. She practices every day and works very hard. In fifth grade, she was selected to the All County Music Festival and the Long Island string Festival (LISFA), which she participated in. During the summer of 2010, she was accepted in the metropolitan Youth orchestra (MYO) and will soon begin to have more serious orchestral training in the coming September.
Brendan Coors
Outstanding Achievement Vocal Music
Brendan Coors began his vocal and piano training at the age of eight years old. He currently sings in the Saint Joseph’s Boys Choir, which he joined three years ago. He studies voice and piano withKim Oler, who is an award winning composer and the Choir Master at Saint John’s University. At Stewart School, Brendan was under the direction of music teacher, Ms. Grace, where he participated in NYSSMA and All County Chorus. He currently is involved with local theater. He is looking forward to attending the Garden City Middle School in September, where he will be joining the chorus.
Stratford School
Cole Sonner
Outstanding Achievement Award for Band
Cole Sonner knew he wanted to play the French horn in Kindergarten the moment he heard then 9th grader Meredith Boonshaft play for students at the Middle School Band meeting when he tagged along with his older brother to an open house. Two years ago, Cole was finally old enough to begin lessons with his mentor, Meredith building on school lessons with Karen Glickman. In that time, Cole has participated in NYSSMA twice, achieving outstanding evaluations performingLevel II selections and made his debut at the All-County Music Festival in January. Cole, a fifth-grader, also enjoys playing football with his GC Thunder team and catching for GCAA baseball and travel teams.
Seunghyun Woo
Outstanding Achievement for Orchestra
Seunghyun Woo, a fifth grader in Stratford Avenue Elementary School last school year, received the Outstanding achievement Award for Orchestra on Flag Day, June 14th , 2010.
She has been playing the cello since she was in second grade, and received a score of 99 out of a 100 for NYSSMA level 5. She went to All County and LISFA (Long Island String Festival). She joined JSE in COS (Junior Symphony Ensemble in Children’s Orchestra Society) from September 2009, and got the co-president title in the cello section. At 2010 summer concert this year, the JSE played Symphony No. 40 Fourth Movement by Mozart and Symphony No. 8 the “Unfinished” by Shubert. This year, Seunghyun will be attending the String Orchestra in MYO (Metropolitan Youth Orchestra).
Not only did she play in the orchestra at Stratford, Seunghyun also played the flute in band. Seunghyun also enjoys playing the piano. She has been playing the paino since the first grade and took the NYSSMA level 5 for piano last spring.
Caroline Vesnaver
Outstanding Achievement For Vocal Music
Caroline Vesnaver is an eleven year old Garden City resident who just completed fifth grade at Stratford School. While she has had no formal training outside of school, she had two wonderful teachers who have helped her, Miss Meredith Stillwell, her vocal music teacher, and Miss Karen Glickman, who taught her to play French Horn and Trumpet.
For Caroline’s fourth grade concert, she was selected for a solo part in the song “Singing in the Rain.” In fifth grade, Caroline participated in All County Chorus as a soprano. This past spring, Caroline played the part of Annie in Stratford’s fifth grade play,Annie Jr.
