Celebrate Your Senior! Talented Teen To Study Music Education

RIVERHEAD, NY — For so many students who should have been enjoying senior year with prom, graduation, and other milestone events, the coronavirus crisis has meant that sadly, dreams and long-awaited celebrations have been put on hold.

Patch would like to shine a light on these amazing young people and their accomplishments; a new series "Celebrate Your Senior!" launched this week, inviting proud parents and others to spotlight the young people whose accomplishments can't be derailed by coronavirus.

Shannon Kutner nominted her daughter Lily Kutner: "Since Lily started school, she has always loved it and worked hard to achieve her goals. That’s why it’s especially sad for her time at the Riverhead Central School District to end this way."

She added: "While Lily has worked hard to achieve academic excellence, music and performing have been her joy and passion always. Since second grade, Lily has been a musician when she began playing violin and singing — and she has taken advantage of every opportunity along the way to develop her talent," she said.

Lily, her mother added, was an All-State musician and has performed in every county and regional honors music performance since the fifth grade. Last year, she won the prestigious Ovation Award at a music competition in New York City. Lily is president of the chamber orchestra and a member of the chamber choir and the Blue Masques, her high school's theater group.

She has participated in musical theater since the second grade with the Riverhead Faculty & Community Theatre, North Fork Community Theatre and Kids for Kids. In 2019, Lily attended the prestigious Boston University Tanglewood Institute for vocal performance.

This year, Lily was slated to play Fantine in the school's production of 'Les Miserables'. Since the production has been postponed, she created a virtual video performance of the cast singing 'One Day More' from the show; she is currently working on a virtual performance for the chamber choir, her mother said. In January, Lily had the privilege of producing, directing and choreographing the show "Polkadots — The Cool Kids Musical," for every elementary student in Riverhead to attend for free.

"Lily enjoys combining her love of music and theater with her desire to help children and others in the community," Kutner said. "

As a member of the Key Club, Lily has participated in numerous service-oriented activities. She is the student ambassador spokesperson for Riverhead High School and attends school board meetings monthly in that capacity. In addition, she is a regular summer volunteer for East End Hospice and Camp Good Grief.

Lily is president of the National Honor Society for Riverhead High School, a member of the Foreign Language Honor Society, and is ranked sixth in her class with a weighted average of 107.

Lily has been accepted to 12 prestigious music education programs and is currently deciding which college she will attend college this fall. Lily remains committed to achieving her goal of becoming a music educator.

Congratulations, Lily Kutner!

To be included in "Celebrate Your Senior!" send photos and a description of why you're nominating your senior to be featured in a Patch post to Lisa.Finn@patch.com. Tell them why you're proud of them and all they've accomplished. Let's celebrate our amazing kids!