Local Pianists Earn National Membership

In the yearly auditions of the National Guild of Piano Teachers, 116 Napa County piano pupils earned memberships in the National Fraternity of Student Musicians. Two students received additional honors: Sasha Fulton was a Five-Year National Winner, and Michelle Holy earned the College Sophomore Diploma. Auditions were held May 14 to 18 in Napa at the Napa Valley Baptist Church and in Angwin at Pacific Union College. Students participating were from the classes of Ruth Andrieux, Lois Case, Judith Cochran, Angela D’Angelo, Anita Ford, Winsome Gane, Donna Kuntz, Janel Tasker, Phyllis Webster, and Lynn Wheeler.

From coast to coast (and now also in Taiwan), nearly 120,000 enthusiastic piano pupils participate in this annual piano-playing event held in 843 music centers throughout the country. Each of the student winners receives a year’s membership in the National Fraternity of Student Musicians and Piano Hobbyists of the World, a gold or bronze embossed pin, and a certificate according to the number of pieces performed.

Begun at Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas, in 1929, national headquarters are still maintained in Texas, where Rules and Regulations are available on request free of charge by addressing Piano Guild, Box 1807, Austin, Texas 78767-1807. The names of local entrants this year with their types of awards follow:

International (15-20 pieces): Caroline Benner, Stephen Benner, Erin Eakle, Michelle Holy (and Sophomore Collegiate Diploma), Lauren Kim ;

National (10-15 pieces): Micaela Ballew, Annie Bargas, Elizabeth Carr, Katrina Castner, Amber Daly, Chloe Fulton, Sasha Fulton (5-year winner), Auriel Helmer, Haidyn Helmer, Spencer Johnson, Emily Knapp, Max Morphis, Rachel Racker, Sarah Racker, Alea Shurmantine, Christopher Sumbillo, Sharlyn Sumbillo, Sierra Trogden, Paula Vildaver;

State (7-9 pieces): Jordan Bargas, Jenna Barrall-Ramos, Trevor Carstens, Kenna Fowler, Jenna Glantz, Courtney Helmer, Marcus Helmer, Helena Herber, Michelle Mihm, Zoe Morphis, Megan Morris, Monica Olson, Alison Toivola, Austin Tsai, Paul Uhm, Alyssa Warrington, Brita Widmer, Anna Zarate, Andrew Zimmerly, Brian Zimmerly;

District (4-6 pieces): Alice Anamosa, August Anderson, Cricket Anderson, Elisabeth Anderson, Juliana Anderson, Annie Backen, Amelia Barrall-Ramos, Tsai Brendon, Tracy Cochran, Natalie Cooney, Eric Delgadillo, Fabiola Delgadillo, Emily Dick, Cassandra Dudum, Amanda Dunlap, Kyra Gee, Cole Gevurtz, Emma Guerrieri, Mark Guerrieri, Natalie Guerrieri, Karen Gutierrez, Kelly Gutierrez, Spencer, Handly, Caroline Hynote, Caitlyn Ingham, Conrad Jimenez, Raphael Jimenez, Patrick Kirk, Sean Kirk, Andrew Mihm, Katie Morris, Lily Murphy, Matthew Niven, Christian Platt, Bailey Pridmore, Sarah Risso, Daniel Rubin, Molly Rubin, Karlson Schyler, Kara Shurmantine, Jocelyn Stradiotto, Tyler Suh, Hannah Tiberend, Chloe Umble, Ryan Yared;

Local (2-3 pieces): Zachary Calhous, Katelyn Cooney, Kate Frederick, Morgan Frederick, Zoe Gjestvang, Michelle Hashimoto, Duncan Hong, Althea Kent, Christina McCollough, Silvia Mendoza, Mathew Risso, Gabriella Salva, Benjamin Sher, Lilly Stevens, Zoe Taylor, Sidney Tremblay, Angelica Trinchero, Ian Whitlock, Max Wilkinson, Roy Yared, Nathan Zimmerly;

Pledge (1 piece): Danielle Beatty, Brendan Deas, Jeffrey Perez de Leon, Allison Stradiotto, Alexander Titus.