Ocean City Music Pier

Middle Township Senior Wins Student Music Competition

An 18-year-old senior at Middle Township High School took first place — and a $1,000 cash prize — Tuesday night at the Ocean City Music Pier in the Esther Weil Music Competition sponsored by the Friends of the Ocean City Pops, Inc.

Baritone Jarrett Porter won for his rendition of “O du mein Holder Abendstern,” an aria from Richard Wagner’s opera Tannhauser .

Second prize of $500 went to Alexander Bui, 17, a junior at Egg Harbor Township High School, who received a standing ovation after performing a movement from Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor.

There were two winners of third place: trombonist Carolyn Thomas, 18, of Holy Spirit High School, and tenor Kameron Ghanavati, 17, a junior at Ocean City High School.

William Scheible, artistic director of the Ocean City Pops orchestra, and one of three professional musicians serving as judges, said all four top winners would have an opportunity to play with the Pops this summer. Originally, only the top prize winner was to have appeared with the Pops. But Scheible said he was so impressed with the students’ musicianship that all four would get their invitation to perform.

 The other judges were Pops flutist Pam Whitman and Dr. Jack Carr, director of music at the Gamp School in Philadelphia and a vocal coach.

A total of 20 students from public and private high schools in Cape May and Atlantic counties competed in the event, which is named for a patron of the arts who died in 2008. Former Ocean City Mayor Henry “Bud” Knight served as emcee. Friends trustee Judy Perkins coordinated the competition, and pianist Scott Breiner served as accompanist to the students. 

The news release above is from George Ingram of the Friends of the Ocean City Pops. [["validates_presence_of",{"message":"Please enter your email address."}],["validates_length_of",{"too_long":"Your email address must contain between 5 and 100 characters.","maximum":100,"allow_nil":true}],["validates_email_format_of",{"message":"Your email address is not properly formatted. Mind giving it another shot?"}],["validates_uniqueness_of",{"message":"The email address you entered is being used by another member. Please try a different address.","client_can_validate":true,"exists_url":"/users/exists?email="}]] [["validates_presence_of",{"message":"Please enter your password."}],["validates_length_of",{"too_short":"Your password must contain between 4 and 40 characters.","too_long":"Your password must contain between 4 and 40 characters.","allow_nil":true,"minimum":4,"maximum":40}],["validates_format_of",{"message":"Your password may contain only letters, numbers, underscores, and hyphens. No emoticons, please. :p","with":["^[a-zA-Z0-9\\_\\-]*?