HWS Announces 2021 Scholarship Winner
The Hanover Wind Symphony (HWS) is proud to award their Summer Music Scholarship to saxophonist Isabelle Mailman. This is in line with our mission to support aspiring instrumentalists. Isabelle gave an excellent audition on both alto and tenor saxophones – the first time someone auditioned on more than one instrument and a winner of the Junior Division scholarship.
Isabelle is currently a sophomore at Wayne Valley High School, where she not only performs on saxophone, but also as an actor. In school she’s a member of the marching band, symphonic band, two jazz bands, and the saxophone quintet.
This spring, Isabelle competed in the inaugural New Jersey State Solo & Ensemble Festival (NJSSE). She earned a perfect score of 30 in the solo competition on both the alto and tenor saxophone – one of only eight students in the state to achieve this score on two instruments. She ended the competition with a gold rating in the state finals.
The NJSSE was launched to recognize student achievement in music education across the state. With over 1,000 middle and high school students participating, the festival was held virtually to provide opportunities for scholastic music students to showcase their talents either individually or in a small ensemble. The festival is run by Arts Ed NJ with systems support provided by Music for All.
While this past year has been challenging, Isabelle says, “Listening to music and playing the saxophone became comforting and some of the highlights of my day. While living through a pandemic is certainly not enjoyable, on the positive side, I have gained a new found enthusiasm for music.”
Gail Lalk, chairman of the HWS Scholarship Committee, said, “We are very pleased to select Isabelle as our scholarship recipient this year. The fact that she is the first person to return to us as a Senior Division award winner after being selected as a Junior Division winner speaks to the fact that the scholarship is now well-established. Isabelle brings tremendous poise to her playing and she was ambitious enough to audition on two instruments, which was impressive. We are looking forward to having her perform with us next season.”
Isabelle plans to use her scholarship award this summer to pay for private saxophone lessons.
