Bend Rotary awards 2 music scholarships
The Rotary Club of Bend has awarded two $2,000 scholarships to local high school seniors with outstanding musical abilities who plan to further their music studies in college.
The first $2,000 scholarship recipient is William Murphy from Summit High School who plays the French horn along with the guitar, bass, drums, trumpet, and saxophone. He’s currently weighing his options as to which college to attend. He has lettered in band for four years, is a three-year district honor band member, and a section leader of Summit High’s wind ensemble. He also has been performed with the Cascade Winds Community Band and the Oregon Ambassadors of Music Tour.
“I’d like to thank the Rotary club for my scholarship,” said Murphy, who performed for the club members at a recent meeting. “I’m really glad for the opportunity to further my education and be able to keep doing what I love the most – playing music. It’s very helpful, as college isn’t getting any less expensive these days.”
The second recipient of the $2,000 scholarship was awarded to Nick Loeffler, also a senior at Summit High. His primary instrument is the flute, but he also plays piano, piccolo and bass flute. He plans to further his education with a double major in flute performance and physics. As an accomplished flautist, he performed in the All-National Honors Ensemble at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, was a Gold winner that performed at the National Band and Orchestra Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and also was a first-chair flautist at the Pacific Honours Ensemble Program at the Queensland Conservatorium in Brisbane Australia.
“Smaller communities, like Bend, aren’t always able to offer music scholarships,” said Loeffler. “That’s what I’m so grateful for the Rotary scholarship so that I can continue to pursue music as part of my education.”
“Each year, our club raises fund that go specifically for Traxler scholarships for these very deserving students,” said Holly Polis, president of the Rotary Club of Bend. “It’s great to see these individual students perform and be able to continue their musical education. Over the years, it’s been wonderful to help support the tremendous musical talent that exists here in our community. “
