Teens to Compete for Music Scholarships
Six high school seniors will be competing for Westmont music scholarships at the annual Music Guild Competition on Saturday, March 1, at 7 p.m. at Westmont’s Deane Chapel. The performances are free and open to the public.
The winner of the Guild Scholarship will receive up to $10,000 in annual music scholarships funds (up to $40,000 over four years) to study at Westmont.
The finalists are cellist Timothy Beccue of Westlake Village, violist Erik Fauss of Santa Rosa, violinist Melissa Wong of San Gabriel, harpist Alexandra Nieuwsma of Martinez, bassoonist and organist Michael Rowlands of Irving, Texas, and pianist Jonathan Kok of Sammamish, Wash.
Timothy, a member of the Junior Chamber Music of Los Angeles, has won numerous awards and performed in the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. He is a member of the American Youth Symphony and Debut Orchestra, and serves as worship leader in his church.
Erik, who was born in Germany, began piano lessons at 5, studied the violin in the 4th grade and switched to the viola in middle school. He is the principal viola player for the Santa Rosa Symphony’s Youth Orchestra and leader of the viola section in its Young People’s Chamber Orchestra. He is a member of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Melissa, concertmaster of the Temple City High School orchestra, has been playing the violin for more than nine years. She plays in the Pasadena Youth Symphony and the Pasadena Young Musicians Orchestra. She performs master classes and serves on the worship team at Evergreen Baptist Church.
Alexandra, a member of the Contra Costa Wind Symphony, is a senior at Fame Public Charter School in Martinez. She has been playing the harp for more than eight years, performing in the Oakland Youth Orchestra, the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra and the Berkeley Youth Orchestra.
Michael is a bassoonist with the Lone Star Youth orchestra, the Metropolitan Winds and the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra in Texas. He plays third bassoon/contra bassoon for the Dallas Metropolitan Winds Ensemble and second bassoon in the Mesquite Symphonic Band. He also plays the euphonium, oboe and English horn and is learning to play the organ.
Jonathan, who mostly performs on piano, has also played the violin for eight years, percussion for seven years and guitar for seven years. He performs with the Beaver Lake Middle School Orchestra, Sammamish Symphony Orchestra and the Bear Creek School Wind Ensemble. He plays on the worship teams for Evergreen Christian Fellowship Church, Bear Creek School and Crossroads Bible Church.
The judges for this competition are Grey Brothers, professor of music, Steve Butler, professor of music and music department chair, Steve Hodson, professor of music, Han Soo Kim, assistant 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.
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