Sixteen talented Hochstein students in grades 5-12 will be recognized at this year's Honors Convocation, including winners of Hochstein Merit Scholarships and five seniors who are completing the Honors Certificate Program.
The Merit Scholarship winners and Honors Certificate students will also perform solos during the Honors Convocation. Eight students were recognized with Honorable Mention.
Hochstein teachers nominate students for Merit Scholarships and auditions were held February–March 2022. They are organized in four categories for various age levels of music students. The scholarships are provided with funds established to memorialize former board members Sydney Rubin and his wife Pearl Rubin, Lillian Taylor Hubbard, and Walter Holloran, as well as Sidney & Ruth Salzman, Dorothy Pund Allen, David Romig, Diana & Christina Wang, and Donald Yungkurth, and members of the Knights of Pythias.
The Honors Certificate Program is entered by audition and is an intensive course of study over several years. Many of the graduates of Hochstein’s Honors Certificate Program have pursued further musical studies at the finest conservatories and university schools of music in the country. There are five seniors who are expected to complete the program this year. Significant support for the Honors Certificate Program comes from the Donald F. & Maxine B. Davison Foundation.
Please note: Audience members will be asked to follow any COVID-19 safety guidelines that are in place at the time of the concert. Click here to view Hochstein’s COVID Safety Information: https://hochstein.org/About/Hochstein-COVID-Safety-Information.
Hochstein programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
Here is the full list of students who will be recognized:
Merit Scholarship Winners
Grades 5-6
- Julian Bennett of Brighton; violin; Grade 5, French Road Elementary School; student of Marcos Kreutzer; Dorothy Pund Allen Memorial Scholarship
- Ian Dorrer of Brighton; piano; Grade 6, Twelve Corners Middle School; student of Oleksandra Yurchenko; Walter J. Holloran Memorial Scholarship
- Sylas Newkirk of Rochester; violin; Grade 5, homeschooled; student of Marcos Kreutzer; Lillian Taylor Hubbard Memorial Scholarship
Grades 7-8
- Wendy Brown of Fairport; violin; Grade 7, homeschooled; student of Pia Liptak; Dorothy Pund Allen Memorial Scholarship
- Noah Busch of Brighton; violin; Grade 8, Twelve Corners Middle School; student of Pia Liptak; Knights of Pythias Memorial Scholarship
- Youyou Wu of Pittsford; violin; Grade 7, Barker Road Middle School; student of Katie Worley; Sydney and Pearl Rubin Memorial Scholarship
Grades 9-10
- Julian Chumacero of Farmington; violin; Grade 10, Victor Senior High School; student of Pia Liptak; Knights of Pythias Memorial Scholarship
- Erica Liu of Henrietta; violin; Grade 9, The Harley School; student of Marcos Kreutzer; Lillian Taylor Hubbard Memorial Scholarship
- Elizabeth Runion of Gates; flute; Grade 10, Gates Chili High School; student of Diane Smith; David Romig Memorial Scholarship
Grades 11-12
- Sean Li of Pittsford; cello and piano; Grade 12, Pittsford Mendon High School; student of Kathleen Murphy Kemp and Joseph Werner; Diana & Christina Wang Memorial Scholarship AND Ruth & Sidney Salzman Memorial Scholarship (also Honors Certificate Program)
- Neil Stringer of Canandaigua; cello; Grade 11, Canandaigua Academy; student of Kathleen Murphy Kemp; Diana & Christina Wang Memorial Scholarship
- Sara Ward of N. Chili; saxophone; Grade 11, Churchville Chili High School; student of Nancy Boone-Bahr; Donald Yungkurth Memorial Scholarship
Honors Certificate Program Graduates
- Abigail Black of Victor; flute; Grade 12, Victor Senior High School; student of Diane Smith
- Thomas DeFisher of Williamson; piano; Grade 12, Williamson Senior High School; student of Paula Bobb
- Amy Feng of Pittsford; cello; Grade 12, Pittsford Sutherland High School; student of Kathleen Murphy Kemp
- Gabriella Graney of Brighton; voice; Grade 12, Brighton High School; student of Sandra Boysen Sluberski
- Sean Li of Pittsford; cello and piano; Grade 12, Pittsford Mendon High School; student of Kathleen Murphy Kemp and Joseph Werner
Additionally, eight students were recognized with Honorable Mention:
- Shreya Bhattacharya of Fayetteville; violin; Grade 9, Fayetteville Manlius High School; student of Marcos Kreutzer
- Lillian Brickman of Rochester; guitar; Grade 9, School of the Arts; student of Timothy Shannon
- Philip Chan of West Henrietta; piano; Grade 5, homeschooled; student of Paula Bobb
- Sarai Couser of Rochester; violin; Grade 7, The Harley School; student of Michelle Walker
- Cameron Fien of Spencerport; guitar; Grade 5, Canal View Elementary School; student of Timothy Shannon
- Julian Shand of Pittsford; piano; Grade 5, Thornell Road Elementary School; student of Gary Palmer
- Alison Henry of Fairport; voice; Grade 8, Martha Brown Middle School; student of Riki Connaughton
- Caitlin Ott of Pittsford; cello; Grade 10, homeschooled; student of Kathleen Murphy Kemp