Michigan Violinist Wins Music Scholarship

Violinist Lalia Mangione of Belmont, Mich., earned a $10,000 annual music scholarship to study at Westmont for winning the Music Guild Competition on March 2. Seven high school seniors performed before a panel of judges in Westmont’s Deane Chapel. The other six musicians won smaller awards.

Mangione, concert master of the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony for the past four years, performed Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, Op. 64. She is also one of seven finalists in the Music Teachers National Conference Competition in Anaheim.

The other finalists were Tiffany Backe from Laguna Hills High School; Ai My (Chyna) Charbonneau from the Dubai American Academy, Al Barsha, United Arab Emirates; Sofiya Pyrkhitko of San Marcos High School; Anna Reiley from Wailea, Hawaii; Cole Syverson of Thousand Oaks High School and Katrina Whitman of Wenatchee High School in Washington state.

The judges for this competition were Grey Brothers, professor of music, Steve Butler, professor of music and music department chair, Steve Hodson, professor of music, Philip Ficsor, associate professor of music, and Michael Shasberger, Adams professor of music and worship.

The Guild Scholarship program is funded by the Guild for Music at Westmont. For information about becoming a Guild member or any aspect of this competition, please contact the Westmont Music Office at (805) 565-6040.