2012 Outstanding Achievement Awards
GARDEN CITY HIGH SCHOOL
Jillian Yoo
Chorus
Jillian Yoo has been involved in the music program throughout all of her years as a student in the Garden City School District. She represented Garden City in All County Chorus since she was in 5th grade and served as an alternate All State Chorus member this past year. Jillian has been a member of the Vocal Jazz Ensemble since her Freshman year and served as Chamber Choir Student Director under the direction of Mr. Robert Ludwig. Outside of school, Jillan sang in the Garden City Community Church Choir and was involved in musical theater through the Garden City Community Theatre group for many years. In the fall, Jillian will be attending The Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University.
Garden City Middle School
Kyle Ascher
Band
Kyle Ascher has played in the Middle School bands from sixth through eighth grades. He also performed with the Early Morning Jazz Band and the Late Night Jazz Band throughout his middle school years. Kyle was selected to perform in the All-County Music Festival in 2011 in the Division III band where he played the euphonium. The following year, Kyle was selected to perform in the Division III Jazz Band where he played the trombone. He will be performing with the Wind Ensemble at the Garden City High School in September.
Maxwell Guarnieri
Band
Maxwell Guarnieri has always been interested in music. At 9 years old he started playing the baritone and the piano. At 11 he also took up the trombone so he could play in jazz band. This past year he prepared three level 6 NYSSMA solos for each instrument. He has been in the All County Band as well as the All County Jazz Ensemble. He has also participated in the Nassau- Suffolk Performing Arts. Over the summer he attended USDAN, which is a summer camp for music and the performing arts. Maxwell looks forward to being a part of the Wind Ensemble in the Garden City High School this coming year.
James Murphy
Chorus
James Murphy has soaked up everything the Garden City School district has to offer in the world of music since he was in Kindergarten. His violin instructor Mr. Geluso while giving instruction in 3rd grade discovered James had perfect pitch. As a fifth grader under the watchful eye of then Ms. Stillwell (now Mrs. Lavin) he was selected for the role of Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast at Stratford School and sang Be Our Guest with all his mite. At the Middle School James was a member of the Festival Chorus, starred as Will Parker in Oklahoma and as The Herald in Cinderella. One of his favorite moments in 8th grade was being part of the All County Chorus at CW Post. Of the long nights of rehearsal prior to the concert he said, “It’s like going to camp and hanging out with kids who like to do what I like to do.” The team at The Middle School including Mrs. Menges, and Mr. Mayo encouraged James in the study of his voice and celebrated his every accomplishment. James has enjoyed sharing this love of music with his classmates and looks forward to joining his music loving pals putting all those new facilities to work as he enters the High School this fall!
Irene Suzanne Yannios
Electronic Music
Irene Suzanne Yannios, 14, enjoys playing the piano, singing, art, digital photography and creative writing. She started playing the piano when she was three and supplemented her piano lessons by learning to play through her computer and the Internet. At music camp, she composed several songs and sang them at the camp’s end-of-camp concert.
Morgan Herrmann
Orchestra
Morgan Herrmann has been playing the violin since third grade, and has studied at the Music Academy of Garden City, the Long Island Conservatory, and the Great Neck Conservatory. She participated in NYSSMA for the last five years as well as the music competition for Sprachfest, the annual German language competition for Long Island, earning first place the last two years.
Stewart School
Owen Ascher
Band
Owen Ascher plays the euphonium and was selected to perform at the All-County Music Festival in the Division I West Band. He will be attending the Garden City Middle School in September.
Michael Duffy
Chorus
Michael “Mikey” Duffy is the recipient of the award for Outstanding Achievement in Vocal Music at The Stewart School 2012. He is a member of The Steward School marching band and the jazz band playing the trombone. He starred in the opera Die Fledermaus as Dr. Falke. He was accepted in the All County Chorus performing at the Tiles Center in January 2012. Miikey has been studying the acoustic and electric guitar for the past four years. He enjoys performing for his family and friends at family
Angelica Pietromonaco
Orchestra
Angelica Pietromonaco began playing the cello at age 3 and studied with Ruth Guideri in Douglaston, Queens. At age 6 she began studying with her master teacher Mrs. Mary Park of Mineola with whom she still currently studies. She has been immersed in both the Suzuki and Traditional methods. Her accolades include winning first place for writing a solo piece for cello through the PTA Reflections Contest while attending Hemlock school, and scoring a perfect score in N.Y.S.S.M.A. in the second, third, and fourth grades. In fifth grade she was selected for both the Long Island String Festival in the fall of 2011, as well as the All- County Orchestra in January of 2012 under her teacher Mr. Andrew Albini. Her most recent accomplishment was auditioning and landing the lead vocal role as Rosalinda in the Stewart School Opera performance of Dei Fledermaus in June 2012 under the direction of her music teacher Kelly Grace. Her hobbies include soccer, swimming, and writing. As she enters the Garden City Middle School she will continue her studies with Mrs. Margaret Gullotta and plans on pursuing vocal studies outside of school on a more serious level. Music will always be part of her life.
Stratford School
Rintaro Kishimoto
Band
On the Stratford Flag Day in June, Rintaro Kishimoto a trumpet player, received the Friends of Music award for band. The reason he chose the trumpet was that he liked the look and sound of it. As it can have a very strong, encouraging tone as well as a gentle, beautiful one. The other reason he started to play the trumpet was because his father is an amazing trumpet player, and he considers himself very lucky, because he can have private lessons with an actual player at home. Without his fathers’ help, he would not have come this far. He also plays the piano. He graduated the highest level in NYSSMA in early May this year. It is not that easy to become very good at both instruments, but he loves them. The Stratford Band will always be in his memories, because of all the fun he had with Mrs. Glickman.
Elizabeth Fetherston
Chorus
Elizabeth Fetherston recently played the female lead role of Marion in The Stratford’s School’s 5th Grade production of “The Music Man Junior” this past spring. Before that, she starred as Alice in The Broad Hollow Theatre Company’s production of “Alice in Wonderland” at the Elmont Library Theater. Elizabeth is currently performing as Elphaba, singing hits from the Broadway musical “Wicked,” this summer in The Broad Hollow Theatre Company’s production of “The Living Playbill.” In the fall, she is looking forward to singing with The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York. Elizabeth is a student of voice at The Music Academy of Garden
Nicole Hughes
Orchestra
Nicole Hughes is 11 years old. She is looking forward to attending Garden City Middle School in the Fall. She loves playing her violin. She has been playing since kindergarten. Nicole has enjoyed playing in the Stratford School Orchestra. Nicole plans to continue playing the violin in the Middle School Orchestra. Nicole also loves swimming and playing soccer.
