MONMOUTH CIVIC CHORUS ANNOUNCES 2016 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

The Monmouth Civic Chorus awarded a total of $3000 to the winners of its 2016 scholarships for vocally talented New Jersey high school seniors. The awards were presented at the May 13 Chorus concert at the First Presbyterian Church of Red Bank, which included performances by the winning students.

$1000 went to Elizabeth Finnen of Pompton Plains, who attends Pequannock Township High School and plans to attend Boston University. Elizabeth has been a member of New Jersey Youth Chorus, Eastern Divisional Honor Choir, North Jersey Regional Honor Choir, New Jersey All-State Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and Pequannock Township High School Choir and Chamber Choir. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Princeton University Chapel, and Super Bowl XLVIII with Queen Latifah. She has played leading roles in drama and musical theater at school and with Smiling Rhino Theatre in Pompton Lakes. She studied at the Savannah Voice Festival Camp VOICE, Oberlin Vocal Academy for High School Students, and Penn State Honors Music Institute.

$1000 went to Alina Eva Flatscher of Princeton, who attends Princeton High School and plans to attend Manhattan School of Music. Alina is a native of Vienna, Austria, where she studied and performed with the Volksoper Wien since the age of 5. She has performed in opera, musical theater, classical concerts and drama, including performances at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, and Morven Museum & Garden, both in Princeton. Also a published composer, she is a member of Princeton Girlchoir and Princeton High School Choir and A Cappella Choir. She was named Best Female Soloist at John Witherspoon Middle School and Best Actress at Princeton High School.

$1000 went to Kevin Jasaitis of Point Pleasant, who attends Point Pleasant Borough High School and plans to attend SUNY Purchase College. Kevin has sung with New Jersey All-State Mixed Chorus and Opera Festival, Point Pleasant Borough High School Mixed Chorus and Show Choir, and the Rhythm and Rhyme a cappella ensemble. He has performed in musical theater, opera, classical concerts, church services, film and television. He attended Westminster Choir College Musical Theater Summer Camp, and was a soloist with Algonquin Arts Theatre Rising Stars and New Jersey All-State Opera Festival. His awards include a New Jersey All-State Chorus Scholarship, Ocean County Teen Arts Festival State Finalist, and WorldStrides Heritage Festival Maestro Award for Outstanding Soloist.

Honorable Mention went to Alexis Peart of Titusville, who attends Hopewell Valley Central High School and plans to attend Eastman School of Music. Alexis has sung in stage productions as well as Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, Freshman Women’s Ensemble, and Vox Central Jazz at school, and is a member of the National Honor Society, French National Honor Society, and International Thespian Society. She has studied in the Honors Music Program of Westminster Conservatory, where she received First Prize in the Concerto Competition and Teen Voice Competition. With the National Association of Teachers of Singing, she was a Semi-Finalist in the Eastern Region Conference, High School Women Division, and received First Prize in the Doris Lenz Festival, New Jersey Division I. She was also Grand Champion in the Roxbury 26th Annual Choir Invitational, Concert Soloist Division.

The audition judges were Ryan Brandau, Artistic Director, Monmouth Civic Chorus; Marina Alexander, Music Director, Arcadian Chorale; Alice Berman, past Executive Director, Monmouth Conservatory of Music; and Evan Courtney, Director of Music, United Methodist Church of Red Bank. The accompanists were Patti D'Andrea, Choir Director and Organist, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Neptune; and Alan Robinson, Choirmaster, Trinity Episcopal Church, Red Bank.

“Thanks to the generosity of Monmouth Civic Chorus members, we were able to increase the funds for the scholarship from $2500 to $3000,” said Scholarship Committee Chair Jenni Blumenthal. Additional committee members were Arleen Faustina, Mary Pacheco, Clare Resnick, Teri Lindstrom, and Warren Moe.

Since 1985, the Monmouth Civic Chorus has awarded more than $70,000 in scholarships to New Jersey high school seniors of outstanding vocal promise. To learn more or to donate to the scholarship fund, call 732-933-9333, email development@monmouthcivicchorus.org, or visit www.monmouthcivicchorus.org.