Three Carson City students to continue music education thanks to scholarship

Two Carson High School students and another from Carson Middle School were awarded the second annual Rosemary Nebesky Memorial Scholarships by the Carson City Symphony Association this month.

Jasmine Wong-Fortunato, 14, an eighth grader at CMS, plays in three bands and in orchestra on different instruments in each — flute, bassoon, saxophone, and viola. Flute is her main instrument. She plans to make music education her career and will use the scholarship for private lessons on bassoon.

Gabriel Covington, 16, a junior at CHS, plays violin in the Carson High Chamber Orchestra, the Reno Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and in Carson City Symphony’s advanced youth strings ensemble, STRAZZ. He also plays piano. He plans to use the scholarship to attend Alasdair Fraser’s Sierra Fiddle Camp this summer to learn techniques of Scottish and other styles of fiddling and playing by ear.

Sy’Johnniqa Moore, 16, a junior at CHS, plays viola in the school’s advanced orchestra, the Carson High Chamber Orchestra. She said she’s able to express all her feelings through her viola, without saying a word. Her orchestra director, Dr. Brian Fox, said she’s one of his most improved students and has great potential for continued growth. She will use the scholarship for private lessons on viola.

The scholarship was established by John and Jennifer Webley of Santa Rosa, Calif., in memory Rosemary Nebesky, who loved music and children and had been a friend and board member of the Carson City Symphony Association. It’s awarded annually to one or more Carson City students ages 5 to 17 for instrumental music lessons.

The next round of scholarships will be awarded in the fall of 2018. For information, call 775-883-4154.