July 27, 2016

Columbia University-bound Dylan DelGiudice is this year’s recipient of the $1,000 Linda Shoemaker Blue Devil Band Scholarship as the senior “who best exemplifies the benefits of membership in the band based on his personal growth during high school.”

Columbia University-bound Dylan DelGiudice is this year’s recipient of the $1,000 Linda Shoemaker Blue Devil Band Scholarship as the senior “who best exemplifies the benefits of membership in the band based on his personal growth during high school.”

Mr. DelGiudice was recognized during the senior academic awards ceremony held in the Huntington High School auditorium last month. Huntington Band Parents Association officials Mark Dara and Karann Pashkin presented the teenager with the scholarship.

Huntington seniors walked away with 21 different music medals, certificates, plaques, pins and financial scholarships after distinguishing themselves over the past four years.

Melany Lanham Ciancia (Rutgers University) and Nancy Fallon (Johns Hopkins University) are the recipients of the Huntington High School Award for Overall Contributions to Music. Each of the honorees received a dictionary and stipend of $600.

John Malone, who will attend the University of Delaware in the fall, captured the Patrick S. Gilmore Band Award in recognition of being an exceptional band student and musician. Mr. Gilmore was a Civil War era bandleader and leading figure in 19th century American music, performing at high profile events such as presidential inaugurations, the U.S. centennial celebration, the dedication of the Statue of Liberty and many others.

Nancy Fallon, Melany Lanham, and Jason Giachetti

Holly Grabowski, who is headed to CUNY-Queens College, garnered the Evelyn Daniels Memorial Scholarship, which is presented to an outstanding member of the orchestra who has excelled as a performer and exhibited dedicated service to the orchestra. The award carries a stipend of $100.

Sophia Latt (American University) and Savannah Richardson (George Washington University) each received the Tri-M Music Leadership Award. Kayla Idler (Keene State University) earned the National Choral Award.

University of New Haven-bound Jose Salmeron-Zeron is the recipient of the National School Marching Band Award. Jack Gallagher (University at Buffalo) and Kevin McConnell (Boston College) were each presented with American Legion Music Award medals for having “contributed the most in the field of music.”

Blue Devil Orchestra Service Award certificates went to Samantha Conte (Stevens Institute of Technology), Samuel Latt (Cornell University), Matthew McBride (University at Buffalo) and Elisa Medina-Jaudes (Cornell University).

Blue Devil Band Service Award recipients included Jack Blakley (Fairfield University), Alanna Harvey (New York University), Benjamin Hebert (Johns Hopkins University) and Hanae Wada (Roger Williams University).

Huntington’s Class of 2016 salutatorian Olivia Stamatatos won the Atlantic Wind Sympony Outstanding Student Band Award. The teenager will be attending Cornell University.

Jessica Straub captured a pair of prestigious awards. She won the $1,000 Huntington Men’s Chorus scholarship and also garnered the National School Orchestra Award. Ms. Straub will be studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Ms. Fallon also took home the John Philip Sousa Award, which was created in 1955 and honors the top student in the high school band. The award has become the pinnacle of achievement for band students. It was developed with the cooperation of Helen Sousa Albert and Priscilla Sousa, daughters of the famous composer and bandmaster.

John Malone and Jason Giachetti

Mr. DelGiudice was also presented with the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award for being an outstanding instrumentalist as demonstrated through superior musicianship, character and individual creativity.

Mr. Gallagher and Ms. Richardson were each presented with the New York State Field Band Conference Award. It carries a $200 stipend. The Suffolk County Music Educators Association presented University of Hartford bound Bailey Riordan with a $100 scholarship after she was selected as an “outstanding senior” by music department members.

Annie Trousdell (Binghamton University) and Ms. Grabowski each won $100 scholarships given by the Huntington Orchestra Parents’ Association, for their dedication and service.

Mr. DelGiudice and Ms. Lanham Ciancia also earned $100 New York State Council of Administrators for Music Education scholarships.

Spencer Pashkin won the Woody Herman Jazz Award. The teenager will be attending the University of Michigan.