THE Fleming MUSIC Scholars
2016
George Benskin
was selected the 2016
Fleming Music Scholar while
in his junior year in high school. Upon his graduation
from Northwest High
School, Germantown, Maryland in June 2017, he
received a $4,500 award from the Fleming Music Scholarship Fund.
The recipient of the 2016 Social Music Diploma from the National
Piano Guild, George is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society.
He volunteers to help at Tri-M concerts,
participates in the church choir at the United Church of Christ of
Seneca Valley in Germantown, Maryland, and
volunteers for the Tacy Foundation, playing at assisted living
centers and hospitals such as the National Institutes of Health. In
addition to piano, Mr. Benskin is working on mastering another
instrument: “his voice.” In his spare time, he plays various
tabletop games and takes part in roleplaying games, world-building,
and writing fictional stories. Also, he composes music of many
different genres.
In the Fall 2017, George entered Montgomery
College-Rockville Campus as a concert piano major. After two years
study, he will transfer to another university to gain an
undergraduate degree in music composition. Mr. Benskin will pursue a
career as a composer for movies, games, or orchestras or as a high
school music teacher.
2015
Jennifer Su graduated from
Chantilly High School, Chantilly, Virginia, in June 2015.
The 1st place winner of the 2015 Maryland State Music Teachers
Association MSMTA Spring Ensemble Competition, Jennifer enjoys
playing duets, accompanying, and playing in ensembles and, in
addition to piano, she also plays violin and Guzheng (Chinese
zither). She is a marketing captain on the Chantilly High School’s
FIRST Robotics Team 612. Each Sunday, Jennifer volunteers as a
teaching assistant at the local Chinese School for 1st
graders who do not usually speak Chinese at home. She takes Music
and Computer Technology at Fairfax Academy and was co-composer of
the soundtrack for her high school’s play, “Radium Girls.”
In the fall of 2015, Ms. Su will attend the University of Miami,
Coral Gables, Florida where she will major in Music. She wants to
experience “everything music” during her years at the University’s
Frost School of Music. After graduation, she wants to do more than
just perform; she wants to become a versatile and well-rounded
musician.
2013
A 2013 graduate of Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville,
Maryland, Cheryl Wang was the recipient of many awards. She
was an AP Scholar with Honors; received Certificates of Academic
Excellence for outstanding achievement in English, Music, Social
Studies, and Spanish; received a Certificate of Achievement for
performing at the John F. Kennedy Center; performed at the Maryland
Governor’s House for both former Governor Bob Erhlich and current
Governor Martin O’Malley; and was invited to perform at the White
House in 2004.
Cheryl’s extra-curricular activities include Key Club, National
Honor Society, National Math Honor Society, National Science Honor
Society, Sociedad Honoria Hispanica, Psychology Club, National
English Honor Society (secretary), Concert and Pit orchestras, and
Ultimate Frisbee (captain). In her spare time, she enjoys playing
the piano, drawing, playing Ultimate Frisbee, and reading.
Cheryl majors in Studio Art and minors in Music at the University of
Maryland, College Park. Her future plans are to become an
advertising agency graphic designer or an animator.
2011
Jessica Chia Liu is the first
recipient of the Fleming Scholarship who was selected while a junior
year high school student. A straight-A student, she graduated as
valedictorian of Walter Johnson High School, Bethesda, Maryland in
May 2012.
The recipient of numerous awards, she received second
place in the Miriam S. Gottlieb Memorial Piano Competition and in
the Nora Lichtenberg Piano Scholarship Competition. She won both
the chapter and district-level competitions in the Omega Psi Phi
Talent Hunt and advanced to the national competition in Minneapolis,
Minnesota in July 2012.
Some of
Jessica’s many extracurricular activities have included the National
Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Science
Olympiad; Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra, All-State Senior Band,
and All-County Senior Band. For enjoyment, she
likes playing volleyball and reading classic novels. Also, she
serves as a freelance piano accompanist for soloists.
In the Fall of 2012, Jessica entered the University of Maryland,
College Park to pursue a double major in
Piano Performance and Government & Politics.
After
receiving a graduate degree, Ms. Liu plans to become a piano studio
teacher and freelance piano accompanist.
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2010
Student
Government Association President Clifton
Williams graduated as valedictorian from Washington, DC’s Duke
Ellington School
of the Arts in June 2010. He is the recipient of
several prestigious competitions, including the Jack Kent
Cooke Young Artist Award, the Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity Talent Hunt Award, and the DC
Public School Piano Competition.
Hailed as “the DC piano prodigy” in Sunday’s Washington
Post Magazine in 2009, Clifton has performed in several high-profile venues
across the United States and abroad. He plays gospel, jazz,
classical, and hip-hop music, but most
important to Williams is his desire to be a well-rounded musician.
When he is not practicing or accompanying vocalists or
choirs, he enjoys doing studio work.
Clifton
matriculated to Berklee College of Music in August 2010 to
pursue a double major in contemporary writing & production and music
education. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, Mr.
Williams plans to pursue a doctorate degree in music then go on to
perform with top jazz and gospel musicians. His ultimate goal is
“to be a world-renowned pianist—the best
I can be.”
 2009
Matthew Daley
graduated from Winston Churchill High
School in June 2009. While in high school, he served as 12th
grade co-president of the Males of Color Organization and was a member
of the varsity basketball team. In the Fall 2009, he began as a piano
performance major and engineering minor student at the University of
Maryland, College Park.
Matt is the recipient of several awards, including both the 2008 and
2009 Classical Piano Gold Medals-Montgomery County
Academic, Cultural, Technical, Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO);
the 2008 Maryland Distinguished Scholar Finalist Gold Medal; and,
the Sphinx Scholarship.
After completing his undergraduate studies, Mr. Daley’s aspirations
are to attend graduate school at Carnegie Mellon University to study
engineering and piano performance. He plans to receive both Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical
Arts degrees.
2008
Tenor saxophonist John Christopher Bauer, known as “Chris” to
his family and friends, has been active in music throughout his
entire life. Very active in his church, St. Rose of Lima Parish, in
Gaithersburg, Maryland, Chris played in the rock band, was an intern
for the Children’s and Teen Choir, and a leader in the mission
camp.
He is a member of Tri-M Music Honor Society, the international honor
society that recognizes secondary music students for their musical
ability, academic excellence, school involvement, and community
service. An Eagle Scout, he plays in his own rock band and enjoys
playing in jazz ensembles in his leisure time. Also, Chris likes to
write music and enjoys construction and woodworking.
Mr. Bauer
has studied saxophone with Paul Carr since 2004. After
graduating from
Quince
Orchard Senior High School, Gaithersburg, Maryland, in June 2008, he
set-off to major in jazz studies at Loyola University in New Orleans,
Louisiana. His long range goal is to be a professional jazz
musician.
2007
A 2007
graduate of Watkins Mill High School, Gaithersburg, Maryland,
Kyle Torrence, hails from Montgomery Village, Maryland. As a
high school student, he was a member of the Drama Club, Chamber
Singers, and All State Chorus. Kyle was named Regional Champion of
the National Association Teachers of Singing competition, a finalist
in the Classical Singers’ Competition, and the recipient of the
Superintendent’s Performing Arts Award. In his leisure time, he
enjoys listening to music and attending plays, concerts, and movies.
This classical vocalist made the decision to pursue an undergraduate degree in vocal performance at the Hartt
School of Music, University of Hartford in West Hartford,
Connecticut. His ultimate career goal
is to one day sing at the Metropolitan Opera!
2006
In June 2006, Integriti Amberia Aryeal Reeves graduated from
Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Washington, DC
where she
studied classical violin. While in high school, she discovered an
appreciation for jazz music and, after further jazz study, began to
embrace improvisation on the violin. During this time, she also began to
explore her vocal talents and found an immediate comfort level as a dynamic jazz vocalist.
During high school, Ms. Reeves held membership in the National
Society of High School
Scholars and was listed in Who’s Who Among
American
High School Students as well as on
the 2004-2005 National Honor Roll. She was a member of the New
Washingtonian Jazz
Ensemble and is the recipient of the 2005-2006 Jay Berman Music
Award. In
September 2006, she began studies at the Johns Hopkins University
Peabody Conservatory
of Music in
Baltimore, Maryland and received a bachelor of arts degree in jazz vocals.
Ms. Reeves
began pursuit of a masters degree in Vocal Jazz Studies at Howard
University in the fall of 2010. She plans to become a renowned music
performer.
2005
Carol Ann Cheung
is a 2005 graduate of Sherwood Senior High School in
Sandy
Spring, Maryland. In addition to being an exceptional pianist, she
plays both violin and bass. As a high school student, Ms.
Cheung held membership in the National Honors Society
French Honors Society, County Honors Orchestra, and
Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra.
She was the recipient of
many awards and scholarships, obtained through both her outstanding
academic performance and musical
ability. In the Fall of 2005, Carol entered Indiana
University at
Bloomington
as a piano performance major. She aspires to become a
performer or
music instructor, teaching privately or in a public school system.
Ms. Cheung was the first recipient of the Attrus C. Fleming Music
Scholarship.
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