On Saturday, April 13, 2024 the Orchard Park Symphony Orchestra Women’s Committee held its auditions at the Orchard Park Presbyterian Church for the 56th Annual Nan Ackerman Memorial Music Scholarship Competition and is pleased to announce the recipients of the competition.

Congratulations to the following recipients:
1st Place Award Winner: Mitchel Schnaufer, Bassoon, attending Salamanca High School, Salamanca, NY $800.00
2nd Place Award Winner: Amanda Faust, Alto Saxophone, attending Orchard Park High School, Orchard Park, NY $700.00
3rd Place Award Winner: Conor Ford, Violin, attending Lancaster High School, Lancaster, NY $500.00

Each year, since the 1960s, the Orchard Park Symphony Orchestra Women’s Committee sponsors a Music Scholarship Competition in the amount of $2,000.00. Funds are raised through their annual Plant Sale.

Professional Music Adjudicators listen to the students and award scholarships accordingly. The recipients use this scholarship towards music camps, private lessons, and even new instruments.

The Nan Ackerman Memorial Music Scholarship Competition audition is open to students in 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade who is an instrumentalist, pianist or vocalist, and who meets the following requirements.

– A student of Orchard Park High School or a public/private school student who is a resident of Orchard Park.
– A 9-12th grade student who is an immediate family member of any OPSO member.
– A student who studies under an OPSO musician
– A 9-12th grade student who is a member of the Southtowns Youth Orchestra.

It is recommended that a competing student be a member of their school music organization(s). The participant must play at a NYSSMA Level V or Level VI or equivalent.

Nan Ackerman (1943-2020) was a remarkable woman who contributed greatly — both personally and financially — to this cause. In Nan’s memory, the OP Symphony Women’s Committee named its annual scholarship competition in her honor.

Contributions will be gratefully accepted by making a check payable to “The Nan Ackerman Memorial Scholarship” and mailing to:

OP Symphony Women’s Committee
P.O. Box 332
Orchard Park, NY 14127

Your support allows us to provide scholarships to aspiring high school musicians in the WNY community.