Handel And Haydn Society Announces 2021 Youth Choruses Scholarship Award Recipients

Recognizing a high degree of achievement in and a commitment to vocal arts, the Handel and Haydn Society announced the recipients of the 2021 Youth Choruses Scholarship Awards. Presented annually by the H+H Education Committee, three musicians who are members or alumni of the Youth Choruses were awarded scholarships between $1,000 and $3,000.

Helen Peppler is this year's Barbara E. Maze Award for Musical Excellence recipient. Peppler is currently studying vocal performance at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music. The award honors the legacy of Handel and Haydn Society Governor Barbara E. Maze, who was instrumental in creating the Youth Choruses program. The Barbara E. Maze Award for Musical Excellence extends the Handel and Haydn Society's support with a $3,000 scholarship to an outstanding Youth Choruses alumnus who intends to continue professional vocal instruction.

The Candace MacMillen Achtmeyer Award honors the memory of a member of the Handel and Haydn Society Board who voiced passionate opinions about H+H's responsibility to the community and children. The scholarship goes to an outstanding high school senior who will continue their vocal music studies and has participated in the Youth Choruses program for at least two years. It includes a $2,000 cash award. The 2021 recipient of the Candace MacMillen Achtmeyer Award is Sam Higgins, a senior at Milton High School. Higgins will attend the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia beginning this fall.

Named in memory of a Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses alumna who passed away in 2011 after battling a terminal illness, the Evangelyna Etienne Scholarship Award extends a $1,000 scholarship to a current or former Youth Choruses program student between the ages of 16 and 24 who is passionately connecting with the community through music. The 2020 recipient of the Evangelyna Etienne Award is Somin Virmani, a junior at Phillips Academy Andover.

"These students have been through a lot this past year. As the Youth Choruses program went through tremendous changes, moving to remote learning due to the pandemic, the thing that remained the same was the student's passion and dedication to the music we love," said David Snead, President and CEO of Handel and Haydn Society. "We are truly proud to honor these remarkable students and help them continue the skills they learned with H+H as they work toward a career in the performing arts."

The H+H Education Committee also recognized a group of students for their exceptional musical artistry and contributions to the community through music. Alex Franklin is a senior at Westford Academy and will be attending Berklee College of Music in the fall. KeeSeok Lee is a senior at The Bromfield School from Harvard, MA, and will study at Stanford University beginning this fall. Rachel Warhaftig is a senior at Hingham High School and will study at Emory University after graduation. Evan Strouse is from Sherborn, MA and is a rising sophomore at Connecticut College. Each of these students will receive the HHYC Achievement Award, which comes with scholarships in the amount of $500-$750.

All of the awards will be presented at H+H's annual High School Soloists Recital. This year's concert will be a virtual event streaming on YouTube, Facebook and Vimeo starting Monday, June 7 at 7:30 PM ET. Learn more here: handelandhaydn.org/education/hhyc/high-school-soloists-recital/.