03/25/2025
On Saturday, March 22, Don Bryn and the SCF Music Program hosted the 4th annual PianoPalooza! festival in the Studio for the Performing Arts on the Bradenton campus. The festival aims to foster educational opportunities and motivation for piano students from the earliest ages through high school. The festival features a piano competition by the Sarasota Music Conservatory , master classes by SCF piano faculty, a student winners’ recital, and a community piano recital.
This year’s competition was divided into the junior category for students in 6-7 grades and senior category for grades 9-12, with winners receiving cash prizes and a performance in the winners’ recital. SCF piano faculty Dr. Agnieszka Zick and Fernando Lopez ran master classes for students of all ages which were so well attended that the class time had to be extended.
The festival continued Monday, March 24 with an evening Community Piano Recital, featuring students of private piano teachers serving the region. 19 students from early ages through high school enjoyed the chance to perform for their family and community on the Steinway in a professional-level recital hall.
The event brought more than 35 students plus their families and private teachers for engaging activities, exciting competition, and stellar performances. It afforded them the opportunity to hear some of the best piano students of all ages, be challenged and encouraged in the master classes, learn about the SCF music program, and see the beautiful recital hall and music facilities on the Bradenton campus.
Competition winners:
Senior Division
1st place winner: Nikhil Patel
2nd place winner: Zoe Coppock
3rd place winner: Leif
Junior Division
1st place winner: Aurora Xia
2nd place winner: Aiden Yue
3rd place winner: Adam Mezhibovsky
Competition Judges:
Tom Purviance
Gail Berenson
Genevieve Beauchamp
SCF Music Program is designed to meet the prerequisites required for student to transfer to an upper division university. degree to an upper division college.
