LAHS student and LASO scholarship recipient Ursula Coe. Courtesy/Bob & Jackie MacFarlane
LAHS student and LASO scholarship recipient Jackson Bell. Courtesy/Bob & Jackie MacFarlane
LAHS student, LASO scholarship recipient Karin Ebey. Courtesy/Bob & Jackie MacFarlane
LASO News:
Three years ago the Los Alamos Symphony Orchestra needed a bassoon player. A Sophomore from Los Alamos High School (LAHS), Karin Ebey, very capably filled that spot. In the years that followed Ebey has continued to be an active member of the community orchestra. She also has played in the LAHS band and completed community service projects.
Now, a graduating senior, Ebey will receive the LASO $500 Jane Gerheart Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship honors Jane who was active in LASO, playing oboe and serving as board president. Ebey plans to major in biology and chemistry in college and continue playing her bassoon.
“Playing with the Los Alamos Symphony Orchestra has been one of my favorite experiences because I found a community and a place where I fit in and a place to play amazing music and challenge myself,” Ebey said.
Ursula Coe, cellist, is another LAHS student being honored by the Los Alamos Symphony Orchestra. Coe will receive the $500 Rosemary O’Connor Memorial Scholarship. In 1947, Rosemary was one of the founding members of LASO and she continued to play in the orchestra into her 90’s.
Coe has played cello with the Santa Fe Youth Symphony Orchestra and has served as cello section leader. She won the Deborah Beene Grand prize in 2020 among other highlights. She plans to continue her studies in cello performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland earning a BMus with Honors in Cello Performance, and eventually earning a Master of Music or a Doctor of Musical Arts.
Jackson Bell, also a LAHS student, will receive the third LASO $500 scholarship. Bell is a trombone player and plans to become a music educator. He played with the Allstate Symphonic Band and Orchestra during each of his high school years. He also played with the Jazz Allstate Big Band as lead trombone. Bell has been accepted at the Berklee College of Music and at UNM.
The 60 + member Los Alamos Symphony Orchestra provides an outlet for local musicians to play challenging music. While most members live in the Los Alamos/White Rock area, there are some who come from Santa Fe and Taos.
In addition to the adult members, a number of local high school students play with the orchestra. It is an opportunity for them to play in a full symphony orchestra. Many LAHS graduates have gone on to pursue musical careers and most of them continue to include music in their lives. The LASO Scholarships are awarded to students who have shown exceptional talent and interest in music.
Anyone interested in helping to fund the LASO Scholarships can send a check, made out to LASO, to PO Box 613, Los Alamos, NM 87544.
In addition to the music scholarships, LASO gave three $50 awards to LA County District Science Fair winners — John Fung for Music and Math, Aislinn Marshall for Sound and Magnets, and Hyunoo Kim for COVID modeling.
The Los Alamos Symphony Orchestra generally gives both a Fall and Spring concert plus the always popular Holiday Pops Concert in December. The group is hoping to resume its concert season in the fall of 2021 as members are very eager to start playing together again. Interested players who would like to join the orchestra can contact Conductor Tjett Gerdom (tjettzky@hotmail.com)
