In the year of Covid 19, BMFA’s Board of Directors is delighted to still be able to announce our 2020 Grant recipients, and to welcome and congratulate four outstanding new performing artists into our Springboard Grant Family!
Myles Bell, (West Chester, PA), Violinist
Myles is a senior at B. Reed Henderson High School in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Originally from Chicago, he has been playing the violin for 12 years and is looking forward to a career as a professional violinist. He is a member of the National Youth Orchestra, and Temple University’s Youth Chamber Orchestra. Myles has played at Carnegie Hall and, in the summer of 2019, he was invited to attend the prestigious Meadowmount School of Music for gifted young musicians. We know he has an exciting journey ahead of him and trust our Springboard Grant will be the springboard he needs to purchase an upgraded violin as he heads for college and conservatory auditions.
Avery Scarlett Hirsch, (Ambler, PA), Composer/Keyboard/Vocalist
Avery is a 17-year-old senior at Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Pennsylvania. She is currently a full-time student, a member of the National Honor Society with an impressive Grade Point Average of 4.45, a member of her high school’s Camarata Chorus, and a certified Lifeguard. But that doesn’t stop her from being a full-time singer/songwriter, marketing herself to an ever-growing fan base at several local restaurants and theaters. During the pandemic, she entertained at several outdoor charity events to raise money to help sustain many of these venues! She will use her grant to produce a new Album of original songs.
John Peter Redmond, (NYC), Classical Composer/Pianist
J.P. is a senior at The Juilliard School in New York City. He is already a prolific composer with an impressive online presence at www.jpredmond.com. Trained as a classical pianist and composer, J.P. is also interested in exploring and honing his talent in other genres of music, including jazz, rock and musical theater. His grant will help to subsidize the expensive process of applying to grad schools and will also enable him to purchase hardware and software to enhance his considerable composing skills.
Olivia Hughart, (Merion, PA), Saxophonist
Some of our long-time supporters may recognize this winner. Olivia Hughart was the spokesman for the Settlement Music School when they won a Springboard Grant for a pilot program called “Trading Fours” in 2015. This was an opportunity for a young ensemble of jazz musicians to travel to New York city for an interactive jazz workshop at Lincoln Center. Olivia was the saxophonist in the group and attended Lower Merion High School at the time. She continues playing and is now a sophomore at NYU, majoring in saxophone performance. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Key of She Jazz, which unites and educates female Jazz musicians, and has been receiving a lot of attention in the press. We are thrilled to witness Olivia’s growth as a musician and a leader. Her grant will help to fund her next virtual Key of She Jazz Conference this winter.
Because of Covid 19 we were unable to present our annual Springboard Grant Winners Showcase at a gala dinner at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia. To make matters worse, this year’s event was also to be a glorious celebration of BMFA’s 10th Anniversary. But good luck was with us, thanks to the generosity and recording skills of Joe Hannigan, owner of Weston Sound, Inc. Under Joe’s direction we were able to create a pre-recorded virtual live-streamed presentation that premiered on Friday, October 30, 2020.
We want to congratulate our 2020 winners for not allowing this year’s quarantine to curb their creativity, or their commitment, to working with passion to achieve their artistic goals. We thank them for attending a socially distanced recording session at the 2300 Arena so that they could receive their awards in person. We hope these grants will provide the support they need to move forward full steam ahead! The Foundation looks forward to entering its second decade as a vital resource for many more talented young artists!
Last year’s Springboard Grant recipients’ performances were also pre-recorded. They videoed their speeches and performances individually and demonstrated for our attendees how they benefitted from their grants. We want to thank all four of them for their extraordinary efforts to make our Showcase a success.
Juliana Castillo, an accomplished violist:
Juliana Castillo described how her grant has helped to further her artistic career. She performed the first movement of Lily Fuchs’ Sonata Pastorale.
Ted Domers, principal of the George Washington Carver High School of Engineering & Science:
Ted produced a video of the new Drumline that our Springboard Grant made possible. This STEM-based school in Philadelphia has been designated a National Blue-Ribbon School of Excellence by the US Department of Education.
Owen Graham, a talented cellist :
Owen Graham from Hopewell, NJ, was our next performer. He is a first-year student at the Royal Academy of Music in London, majoring in cello performance. The piece Owen performs is a nostalgic Spanish folk song that Pablo Casals performed as an encore at every concert he gave after he escaped Franco’s revolutionary Spain.
Yende Mangum, a talented composer & classical/jazz pianist:
Yende Mangum is from Philadelphia and now studying remotely as a freshman at Princeton University. Yende played “Imaginings,” his original composition, on the new keyboard he purchased with his Springboard Grant.
Our evening ended with a virtual “Grand Finale.” Fifteen Springboard Grant alumni (from 2014 – 2019) gave a stirring ensemble performance of Kushol Gupta’s special arrangement of “Corner of the Sky” from Steven Schwartz’s Broadway show, Pippin, (with permission from Alfred Publishing). Five vocalists, 1 violinist, 2 violists, 2 cellists, 1 double bassist, 1 saxophonist, 1 flutist, and one drummer recorded the song individually at home, and Joe Hannigan miraculously blended them together in a fabulous performance!
Finally, we have one more piece of good news for these troubled times. You can view not only “Corner of the Sky,” but the entire program, by visiting our Awards Reception event page. If you were unable to watch the virtual premiere of our Springboard Grant Winners Showcase on Friday, October 30, 2020 we hope you will play the video now.
Enjoy this audiovisual treat that spreads hope as 2020 draws to a close. BMFA’s entire Board of Directors joins us in thanking you for your generous support during this tumultuous year. We wish you a blessed holiday season and a New Year filled with love, hope, and confidence in the future.
Happy Holidays, and please stay safe!
Liz Montgomery Thomas
Executive Director
Vicki Thomas Pohl
Chairman of the Board
