Riverhead Student Wins DeRosa Memorial Scholarship
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) recently awarded scholarships of $1,000 to ten graduating students from across Long Island.
“The record number of scholarship applications we received this year is an encouraging sign for the future of the arts,” said LIMEHOF Vice Chairman Tom Needham. “We are proud to provide thousands of dollars in scholarship support to outstanding students pursuing careers in music performance, music education, and theater, and we look forward to seeing the contributions they will make to their communities and the arts for years to come.”
The following recipients are as follows:
- Kolton Chamberlain (Tuba & Voice) of William Floyd High School. Kolton will be studying Music Education & Performance at Ithaca College.
- Harry Diner (Violin & Logic Pro Electronic Music) of Harborfields High School. Harry will be attending Cornell University.
- Riley Fergus (Viola) of Half Hollow Hills High School West. Riley will be studying at The Juilliard School.
- Chloe Leshnower (Classical Voice) of Half Hollow Hills High School East. Chloe will be pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Music Education at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, with a Vocal Performance Certificate.
- Abigail Ng (Violin) of Northport High School. Abigail will be pursuing a degree in Music Education at Syracuse University.
- Gavin Pollack (Oboe) of West Islip High School. Gavin will be attending the University of Miami Frost School of Music, studying Music Education with a minor in Education.
- Julius Radino (Drums) of Bellport Senior High School. Julius will be attending the University of Miami Frost School of Music, pursuing the M.A.D.E. program.
- Jackson Seifert (Tenor Trombone) of William Floyd High School. Jackson will be attending the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University.
- Nicholas Suwalski (Trumpet) of Farmingdale High School. Nicholas will be studying for a Double Major in Trumpet Performance and Music Education at Queens College’s Aaron Copland School of Music.
- Lisa Yasinov (Voice – Soprano) of Syosset High School. Lisa will be pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Classical Vocal Performance at New England Conservatory.
Also, for the fourth year in a row, the Pat DeRosa Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $500 was awarded by the DeRosa family in memory of LIMEHOF inductee Pat DeRosa. This year’s recipient was Christian Seymour (Saxophone) of Riverhead High School. Christian will be studying Music Education at Ithaca College.
This Memorial Scholarship is given to a high school senior who will continue their studies in Music on the saxophone or woodwind instrument. The criteria include a 95 or above in Music and a 90 overall average. The student must also provide an essay to show why they would like to continue to pursue music. It is named for a saxophone player and music teacher who was named Guinness World Record’s “World’s Oldest Professional Saxophone Player” (101 years old and still playing in 2022). During his musical career, he played with Tommy Tucker, Tex Benecke, Lionel Hampton, John Coltrane, among others. Additionally, he was inducted into the Long Island Hall of Fame and the South Huntington Hall of Fame.
LIMEHOF has awarded tens of thousands of scholarships to Long Island high school students since its inception. The students submit applications that are judged by LIMHOF’s education committee, chaired by board member Tom Needham. This year had a record number of applications received. Students from schools in Queens and Brooklyn are eligible to apply, in addition to those from Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
For more information about LIMEHOF’s scholarships and educational programs, visit https://www.limusichalloffame.org/scholarshipsgrants/.