Kennedy Hammond
The Bristol Music Club’s Annual Scholarship Benefit is held Saturday, Nov. 2, at Central Presbyterian Church, Bristol, Virginia. The event opens at 10 a.m. with a silent auction that includes a variety of items donated by area merchants and organizations. Refreshments provided by Bristol Music Club members are available during the event.
Beth McCoy is the Master of Ceremonies for the program of music that begins at 10:30 a.m. Retired music teacher, founder and retired artistic director of the Mountain Empire Children’s Choral Academy, published composer, Diaconal Minister of Music, and former church choir director, McCoy has won numerous awards, including The Tribute to Women and the AAME Arts Achievement Award.
The music program features performances by six of the 2024 Bristol Music Scholarship Winners. In May the Bristol Music Club held its Scholarship Auditions. Nine students were chosen to receive awards with a total of over $5,500 awarded. There are four divisions for students auditioning: Div. I for high school seniors who plan to major in music in college; Div. II for students in grades 1 0 – 12; Div. III for students in grades 7-9; and Div. IV for students in grades 4-6. The following winners perform for the benefit Nov. 2:
Kennedy Rose Hammond is the first-place winner in Division I and the winner of the Paramount Chamber Players Award. She is a freshman majoring in vocal performance at Milligan University. The first-place winner in Division II is Ellen Hong who has also performed in the ETSU Sinfonia Orchestra since 2018, serving as concertmaster, as well as the ETSU Symphony Orchestra. She is a senior at Science Hill High School. The second-place winner in Division II is Emmy Nannenga who also received an award from the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition. This earned her the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall last December. Nannenga is a junior at Dobyns Bennett High School. Shanna Jung is the first-place winner in Division III. In March of this year, Jung participated in the Knoxville International Piano Festival & Competition hosted by the UT College of Music. She won first place in the four-hand piano competition. She is enrolled at Science Hill High School. The third-place winner in Division III is Chloe Wilcox, a 10th grader at Providence Academy. Anastasia Wade was the first-place winner in Division IV. a home–schooled fifth grader.
The program includes music from a variety of composers from various periods of music history and in contrasting styles. The Scholarship Benefit provides an opportunity to honor these outstanding young musicians and raise funds for the scholarships that will be awarded in May 2025. Tickets for the Scholarship Benefit are $25 and are available at the door or from any member of The Bristol Music Club.
The Bristol Music Club has been celebrating the study of music and encouraging young musicians for over 100 years. Since 1964, they have presented scholarships to over 400 young people in grades four through 12.
