The Symphony Association wishes to recognize students who have been active in music during their high school careers. The awards are based on participation in musical events and activities, particularly activities that support music education and music in the community.

All high school seniors who reside and/or attend school in Livermore, Pleasanton, Sunol, Dublin, or San Ramon, California, or who have actively participated as LAS musicians, are invited to apply for one of the $500 awards administered by the Symphony Association.

The awards include the John H. Green Memorial Award; the Bill King Memorial Award; and two Livermore-Amador Symphony Association Awards. This year, one of the Association Awards is named in honor of Music Director Emeritus Arthur P. Barnes. The second Association Award is given in memory of longtime orchestra member Marion Stearns.

Applications for the 2023–2024 season awards are now available and may be downloaded as a Word document or as a pdf file. All applications must be submitted by e-mail by October 2, 2023. Winners will be announced the week of October 15, 2023. Profiles of the winners will be included on the Symphony’s website, the December concert program, and in the newsletter. The Awards will be presented at the Symphony’s concert on the evening of December 2, 2023.

If you have questions or are unable to submit an application by email, please contact LAS Awards Committee Chair Nissa Nack at (925) 484-1942 or nissanack@comcast.net.

 
The 2022–23 Season Award Winners
(main text is from December 2022)
 
Symphony Association Award
One of two awards established by the Livermore-Amador Symphony Association.
This year one award is given in honor of longtime orchestra member Marion Stearns.
 

The LAS Association Award in honor of Marion Stearns goes to Ananya Iyengar, a senior at Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon. Ananya has been learning Indian classical Carnatic music for many years and also has been a part of her school’s choir program since sixth grade. Currently, she is a member of her school’s chamber choir and a capella club. Ananya has sung at the Alcosta Senior Center over the summer, at the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in San Ramon, at school concerts, at school games performing the national anthem, and at other community events. She has been selected for and participated in many festivals, such as California’s All State Honor Choir and San Jose State University’s Honor Choir. Ananya created and runs two YouTube channels: one dedicated to teaching Carnatic music and the other for mashups, harmonies, and covers. Both of her channels have over 100,000 views and hundreds of subscribers. Ananya is excited to continue growing her passion for music in college next year.
 

Arthur P. Barnes Award
This Livermore-Amador Symphony Association Award is named in honor of
Music Director Emeritus Arthur P. Barnes.
 

Aiden Mathew receives the Arthur P. Barnes Award. A student at Dougherty Valley High School, Aiden plays French horn, piano, and trumpet. His horn teacher is Paul Neuffer. Aiden has played in the wind ensembles of his school’s concert band throughout high school and is a member of the Diablo Wind Symphony. He has played in honor bands including the California Band Directors Association’s 2021 All-State Symphonic Band and 2022 California Orchestra Directors Association’s All-State Symphony Orchestra. As French horn section leader at Dougherty Valley, Aiden has helped with training and led sectionals. He plays horn in the school jazz club, which performs at school events and senior centers. He is president of the Tri Valley Youth Musical Ensemble, a student-led group that performs at senior centers and charitable events. Aiden provides piano accompaniment and assists the choir director at Mar Thoma Church of San Francisco. This year in the COSMOS program (California State Summer School for Mathematics & Science) at UC San Diego, he studied music and technology. He plans to major in music and technology in college and continue to play horn.
 

John H. Green Memorial Award
Established by Tot and John W. Green in memory of their son, John H. Green;
he played horn, attended Granada High School,
and received a Symphony Association Award.
 

The John H. Green Memorial Award goes to Livermore High School student Audrey Fick-Furlotte, who plays piano and sings. Her current voice teacher is Sarah Sloan. In the 9th and 10th grades, Audrey earned level 5 and 7 certificates of merit for piano from the Music Teachers’ Association of California, and she gave piano recitals at the Quail Garden assisted living home in Livermore as a high school freshman. Audrey was a member of the concert choir at LHS in 9th and 10th grades; she has been a show choir member since 11th grade, and this year she also is a vocalist with the jazz band. She was in the cast of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at LHS last year and Love on the High Seas this November and has performed in Fiddler on the Roof and other musicals produced by the Bay Area Children’s Theatre and the Young Actors’ Theatre Camp. She has sung at Livermore Pride events in 2021 and 2022. Audrey plans to go to New York City to study musical theater in college. She hopes to become a successful actor.
 

Bill King Memorial Award
Established by Jean and Walter King in memory of their son, Bill;
he loved music and played cello and trombone
at Jackson and East Avenue Middle Schools.
 

The Bill King Memorial Award this year is presented to Livermore High School student Anna Tang, who sings and plays violin. At her school, Anna was a member of the concert choir in 11th grade and is now in the chamber and show choirs. An orchestra player throughout high school, she is concertmaster of the chamber orchestra. She has played in the LHS pit orchestra for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and in the cast recording for the student-run musical [INSERT future HERE]. At Livermore’s Tri-Valley Solo & Ensemble Music Festival last year, Anna played in a violin/clarinet/bass trio and performed as a violin soloist at the command performance. She has been a member of the Diablo Valley College Philharmonic Orchestra and principal second violin in the LAS Youth Orchestra, and she now plays in the first violin section of the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra. Last year, she auditioned and was accepted into the California Orchestra Directors Association’s All-State String Orchestra, where she placed second chair. Anna plans to attend a four-year university and continue to play in orchestra and sing in choir.