LAKEPORT, Calif. – The recent concert by the Youth Orchestra was an energetic display by talented young musicians of Lake County.

“They have been practicing for months to be ready for this,” said Sue Condit, conductor. “We’re so proud of them and very grateful for the people and organizations that support them and helped make this possible. “

The concert began with several pieces performed by students in the Lake County Symphony Association’s string music classes, with teachers Jeff Ives and Clovice Lewis conducting pieces the students worked on in their classes.

The string classes include violin, viola and cello, said Condit, and were made possible by a “generous grant” from the Lake County Wine Alliance.

The Youth Orchestra then took to the stage, where they performed a variety of recognizable tunes, including those from the classical era, Beethoven’s Allegro from “The Creatures of Prometheus,” to the contemporary, which featured tunes from the Muppet Show and Pixar films, effectively capturing the concert theme of “Creatures and Beasts.”

The young musicians also played four tunes arranged by Jeff Dixon, a retired music teacher and principal from Lake County: “The Fox,” “Beauty And The Beast,” “The Muppet Show” (Medley) and “How Does a Moment Last Forever.”

Dixon, who was in the audience, was recognized during intermission for his contributions, and received a gift basket, delivered to his seat by Concertmaster Rafael Contreras.

Intermission was particularly busy, as many young musicians were honored.Condit presented scholarships from Lake County Symphony Association to departing seniors Garrett Grossner and Jenny Landeta.

Grossner, from Kelseyville High School, plays tuba, viola, electric bass and piano; he will be attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a statistics major/music minor. Landeta, from Lower Lake High School, plays the flute and will attend UC Davis as a music major.

Tom Ganoung, director of the Allegro Scholarship Program, was also there with updates on his organization and to deliver awards to several students.

“I worked with Sue Condit last year to find a way to provide additional instrumental services for promising students,” he said. “I am happy to report that last June, $5000 in additional funding beyond the current budget was generously provided by the George and Ruth Bradford Foundation.”

Ganoung went on to offer thanks to the many individuals and businesses in Lake and Mendocino Counties who have provided support for Allegro scholarships during its 18 years of service to the education of young musicians.

“Your generosity has provided $50,000 for student tuition assistance, awards, instruments and study materials and created a $150,000 endowment fund for scholarships in perpetuity,” said Ganoung.

He also commended Lake County music instructors for their “selfless dedication” to the development of musical skills of young musicians.

“This group includes Jeff Ives and Jeanne Mullen-Ison, along with current ASP instructors Andi Skelton, Sue Condit, Austin Ison and Clovice Lewis,” said Ganoung, adding, “The Allegro Scholarship Program has been providing funds for performance scores for the Youth Orchestra since 2013 and will continue to do so into the future.”

Ganoung noted that Allegro currently provides tuition assistance for many students studying privately and, in extra special cases, grants scholarships which help pay college expenses, an investment of more than $8,000 in student support annually.

After urging all audience members to “please consider donating your support for these wonderful young musicians,” Ganoung recognized current Lake County ASP students and presented each with a Musician Achievement Award along with his congratulations.

Recipients were Maya Leonard, Samantha Carter, Nicole Pyzer, Christian Contreras, Polina Bradley and Rafael Contreras.

Maya Leonard is completing seventh grade at Middletown Middle School, and is in her fourth year playing violin in the Youth Orchestra and the Konocti Fiddle Club. She also studies piano and plays percussion and trumpet in her school band, and placed third in her division at both the Cloverdale Fiddle Contest and the Heirloom Festival Fiddle Contest.

Samantha Carter is completing her freshman year at Kelseyville High School with high honors and a 4.0 GPA. Her dedication and progress made in violin study earned her the privileged first violin chair next to the Concertmaster in the Youth Orchestra. She also plays saxophone and flute in her school band.

Nicole Pyzer is completing seventh grade at Middletown Middle School and is in her 3rd year with the Youth Orchestra. She made her debut with the Konocti Fiddle Club last July at the Bluegrass Festival and plays with them at Ely Stage Stop. The Ely Stage Stop jam sessions take place the first Sunday of each month and raises money for music scholarships for District 10 of the California Fiddlers Association.

Christian Contreras plays the cello in the Youth Orchestra. He is completing the seventh grade at Konocti Education Center in Clearlake. He has also begun studying the trumpet with Austin Ison, and plays trumpet in his school band. Christian will receive an additional Allegro Scholarship grant to continue his brass studies. Christian is also a talented artist and one of his pieces is permanently displayed in downtown Clearlake.

Polina Bradley has played cello in the Youth Orchestra for several years and has learned many difficult cello pieces. She recently finished the seventh grade as a homeschool student. She is recognized for her excellent grades and is a member of the honor society. Polina is described by her music teacher, Clovice Lewis, as an outstanding student leader who knew she wanted to become a cellist after viewing her favorite movie “The Soloist”, starring Jamie Foxx.

“She is inquisitive, creative and very musical,” said Lewis. “I feel she is well on her way to studying at the San Francisco Conservatory in the future.”

Rafael Contreras, concertmaster of the Youth Orchestra, has been playing violin since he was age 5 and started playing fiddle with Konocti Fiddle Club in second grade. He joined the Youth Orchestra in third grade. He has won a number of fiddle contests over the years and currently plays with District 10 Old Time Fiddle Club at Ely Stage Stop every month. He also plays the flute in his school band and in school musicals, as well as playing the viola and guitar.

Contreras Rafael just completed the ninth grade at Konocti Education Center and will continue his education at KEC in the fall in the ‘middle college’ pathway, which allows him to take classes at Woodland Jr. College as he attends KEC.

He is a high academic achiever (he is on the honor list), an avid reader, loves animals (he is the vice-president of the Cobb Mountain 4-H Club) and volunteers his time helping at local KEC events.