The Symphony Association wishes to recognize students who have been active in music and music-related activities 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. One of the Association Awards is named in honor of past Music Director Arthur P. Barnes.

The application for the 2025–2026 season awards is available for your reference and may be downloaded as a Word document or as a pdf file, although the deadline is past. All applications were due by October 12, 2025. Winners were announced the week of November 4, 2025. Profiles of the winners were included in the Symphony’s December concert program and newsletter (and below). The Awards were presented at the Symphony’s concert on the evening of December 6, 2025.

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 2025–26 Season Award Winners
(main text is from December 2025)
 
Symphony Association Award
One of two awards established by the Livermore-Amador Symphony Association.
 

This LAS Association Award goes to viola player Karen Chang. Karen is a Dougherty Valley High School student and a very involved participant in the orchestra and chamber orchestra there. Her viola teacher is Kai Li Cheng. Karen’s orchestra teacher at Dougherty, Paul Rhodes, reports that she is professional, collaborative, and very engaged in her musical activities and in her other endeavors. Karen has often functioned as a section leader, and she has been an active participant in the DVHS Music Service Club, serving as a valuable mentor to elementary students and a peer tutor at the high school level. She has been a member of the California All-State Orchestra, and she has played in the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra throughout high school, including as viola section leader since eleventh grade. She has also participated in numerous music competitions, both as a soloist and in chamber groups. In addition, she has performed at senior centers and at fundraisers for Kids Against Hunger through the organization Seagull Leadership International. Karen plans to attend a four-year university to study cognitive science or biology and eventually pursue a career in medicine.
 

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

Jemmima Dawson, a student at Dougherty Valley High School, receives the Arthur P. Barnes Award. At DVHS, she has participated in vocal ensemble 1, treble choir, concert choir, and chamber singers. She was soprano section leader in concert choir last year and now is mezzo-soprano section leader of the chamber singers. She also has been a section leader for her school’s a capella club. Jemmima plays acoustic guitar, piano, bass guitar, cajón, trumpet, and synthesizer. She sings on the worship team at her church and plays trumpet there; is taking bass lessons at Music Land; enjoys improvisational, ad lib singing and playing; and is coaching children ages 4 to 9 to perform in a musical for their parents. She is writing music with a friend, and she produces background music for recordings that feature her own singing. Meanwhile, she is taking an AP music theory class at DVHS. Her high school choir director, Diana Walker, praises her passion to pursue excellence and help others strive for the same and describes Jemmima as trustworthy, kind, and a joy to be around. After high school, Jemmima hopes to study nursing while minoring in music.
 

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 Graham Shawler. Graham attends Granada High School, where he earned an International Baccalaureate in music as a junior. A voice and piano student of Michael Bernal throughout high school, Graham also, astoundingly, learned to play accordion as a pit musician for Granada’s production of the musical Hadestown: Teen Edition last year. Very active in CYT (Christian Youth Theater) Tri-Valley, Graham has been a performer or vocal captain in their productions of Sound of Music, Anastasia, Beauty and the Beast, Matilda, Mary Poppins, and Little Women. Graham has been a counselor at CYT summer camps for several years and a band pianist and band leader in CYT’s leadership program, High School Youth Pursuing Excellence. Graham also has performed with Heartstrings Theatre Company in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here in Livermore, Graham has been a caroler and accompanist at Heritage Estates and has impressed Granada High’s instrumental music director, George Pascoe, who says that “Graham’s drive, dedication, and cheery attitude are absolutely contagious.” Graham plans to study music education and theater design in college, and he hopes to promote education and collaboration in the arts.
 

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 Amador Valley High School student Celicia Thendean, who played the first movement of Schumann’s piano concerto at our February 2022 concert as a 13-year-old winner of the LAS Competition for Young Musicians. But Celicia also plays cello, oboe, English horn, and clarinet! At Amador, she has played oboe and English horn in the top wind ensemble since 10th grade and clarinet in the marching band since ninth grade, this year as section leader and the featured pianist. She has served on Amador’s student-led band council throughout high school, now as president. She has organized, programmed, and raised money for the band program through benefit concerts. Celicia has been a performer and volunteer at California Music Educators Association Band Festivals throughout high school and since tenth grade at the annual Campana Jazz Festivals at Amador for middle and high school students. Community activities have ranged from concerts at senior centers, to Tri-Valley Asian Heritage Celebration concerts, to benefit concerts for the Alan Hu Foundation. Celicia hopes to continue to study music at a conservatory while also exploring her interest in psychology.