Samantha Bekolay 2022
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Samantha will be attending Kalamazoo College for her undergraduate degree after graduating Bloomfield Hills High School. She has studied oboe and English horn with Mr. Johnson for 5 years. Under his guidance, she played oboe and English horn in various groups such as the BHHS Jazz Band, Symphonic Orchestra, Symphonic Band, Pit Orchestra, and Marching Band, as well various DSO youth programs. Furthermore, she has received multiple first division ratings in Solo and Ensemble competitions at both the local and state level. While studying with Mr. Johnson, Sam won the Grand Rapids Concerto Competition as well as the Bloomfield Hills Concerto Competition and the Robert C.J. Traub Memorial Music Scholarship. The Traub Scholarship includes an all-expenses paid trip to Europe where Sam will be traveling to European countries such as Austria, France and Italy to enrich her musical education. She plans to continue studying with Geoffrey Johnson in the fall as he teaches at Western Michigan University.
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Sierra Barnes, 2020A graduate from Groves High School in Birmingham, Michigan, Sierra Barnes is an active oboe student going on 9 years. She acted as princpal oboist in the Detroit Metro Youth Symphony for three concert seasons as well as participating in her school's Symphony Band. Prior to that she was a part of Student League, a group for young musicians that gathered to perform and perfect concert solos while sharing passion and love for music. She also participated in the Michigan School Band and Orchestra’s Solo and Ensemble for six years earning first divison soloist medals on the district level for 5 consecutive years. Sierra is currently studying under the private instruction of Geoffrey Johnson, an accomplished professional Oboist, in his studio in Royal Oak, MI. Under Mr. Johnson’s teaching she has studied and performed solos such as Saint- Säens Oboe Sonata, Marcello’s Concerto in C minor, and Albinoni’s Concerto in D minor. After high school, Sierra plans to perform in the symphony orchestra at the University of Pittsburgh and continue her private lesson under Geoffrey Johnson.
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Emily Demski, 2017Emily is a graduate of the class of 2017 at Stoney Creek High School. During her time in school she played in numerous ensembles in the area, including the Blue Lake International Symphony Orchestra, Oakland Youth Orchestra, Michigan All-State Orchestra, the Stoney Creek Theatre Company, and also the Adams High School Theatre. She has been offered an oboe position in one of the United States Marine Corps regional bands. After receiving two full scholarships to college she will continue her education at Michigan State University in Oboe Performance this Fall.
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Ava Wirth, 2015Ava is a 2015 graduate of Berkley High School. As a student, Ava won both the Birmingham Concerto Competition and the Royal Oak Concerto Competition, which both provided her scholarship money for college. Ava has won numerous first divisions at Michigan State Solo & Ensemble and participated in Detroit Civic Youth Ensembles, and presented a senior oboe recital featuring Mozart, Saint-Saens, and Vaughan-Williams. Ava will continue her studies as a music major at Bowling Green Univerisity, where she will study with Dr. Nermis Meises this fall.
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Arielle Wolf, 2014Arielle is a 2014 graduate of Andover High School in Bloomfield Hills. During her studies, Arielle won numerous awards across the state, including the high score at Michigan State Solo & Ensemble of 99 out of 100, won second place at the Kent Philharmonic Concerto Competition and was invited to perform at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival. She was a participant in Detroit Civic Youth Ensembles, and also competed and won many concerto competitions and scholarships, including a full scholarship to university. Arielle also performed the Vaughan Williams Oboe Concerto with her High School orchestra. She is now studying oboe as a student of Dr. Nancy Ambrose King at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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Samantha Carr, 2014Samantha Carr is a 2014 graduate of Grosse Pointe South High School. Samantha will continue her studies as an Oboe Performance major at Bowling Green University in Bowling Green, Ohio where she will study with Dr. Nermis Meises. While taking lessons with Geoffrey Johnson, Samantha won a chair in Michigan All-State Orchestra 2015, performed the Haydn Concerto as a soloist with her symphony orchestra, performed with Detroit Civic Orchestra, performed at Michigan Youth Arts Festival, and won numerous first divisions on both oboe and English horn at Michigan State Solo & Ensemble
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Brian Anstett, 2013Brian Anstett is a 2013 graduate of Shrine Catholic High School in Royal Oak, Michigan and will be studying Music at the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music in Berea, Ohio. While at Baldwin Wallace, he will be studying Oboe Performance with Jeffrey Rathbun, Assistant Principal Oboist in the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, and Music Composition with Clint Needham through a duel major program. Between his playing and composing, Brian has been the recipient of several awards and scholarships. He was the winner of the MMEA Music Composition Competition and Scholarship and was selected to attend the Michigan Youth Arts Festival 2013 for his compositions. Brian is the Principal Oboist in the Detroit Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra and received the Jessica K. Rogers Award for outstanding Woodwind Player, and Royal Oak Musicale Scholarship for outstanding playing.
Brian began playing music at a young age, starting with piano. Today, he still has a dedicated focus to his playing and recently received the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award. Through a rigorous audition process, Brian was accepted to several Universities and received numerous scholarships including; Baldwin Wallace Conservatory Margret Rusk Griffiths Talent Scholarship, Baldwin Wallace Conservatory Scholars Award, Eastern Michigan University Challenge Award, Eastern Michigan University Alexander Scholarship, Eastern Michigan University Fitch-Merettta Scholarship, Oakland University Dean’s Music Award, and Wayne State University Department of Music Talent Scholarship. He is currently a student of oboist and private lessons teacher Geoffrey Johnson in Royal Oak, MI. |
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Myles-Amir Harlan, 2012Myles-Amir Harlan, a native of Detroit, began studying oboe while in middle school. After several years of studying with teacher, Geoffrey Johnson, Myles was accepted into Interlochen Academy for the Arts for his senior year of high school. While at Interlochen Academy for the Arts, Myles studied with renowned oboe professor, Dan Stolper. After graduating Interlochen, Myles was accepted to New York University as an oboe major, as well as Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN as an oboe major, where he received a full music scholarship to study with Jared Hauser. During his time studying with Mr. Johnson, Myles received first divisions at solo & ensemble, was asked to perform at several local events, invited to the White House in 2012 as a part of Detroit Youth Arts trip, participated in several solo oboe recitals with the Sphinx School, was featured in television news stories and more.
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Alumni Press
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Royal Oak Review and Troy Tribune Highlight, June 2013
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Michigan Chronicle Feature Article, July 2013
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Detroit Performs TV Series, Full video clip
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