Thankyou and award concert marks unofficial “season opening”

After a year of almost complete absence of live music, the Tennessee Philharmonic Orchestra kicked off the 2021-2022 season in May, by combining a Thank You Concert for season ticket holders and the annual Richard Siegel Foundation/TPO Music Excellence Award. The event was held at the new TPO venue of Belle Aire Baptist Church in Murfreesboro.

“Since this was the first live concert of the year, we count it as a sort of season opener,” said Ray Singer, president of the board of the TPO.

A handful of ensembles performed various styles music for the evening, while keeping a safe distance to the audience, who also kept a safe distance to each other, while taking in some sought after live music from the local symphony.

“We are excited to resume live concerts and to see familiar and new faces enjoying the long-awaited musicians of our orchestra,” Singer added.

Below are some photos from the event.

Hundreds of people came to the Richard Siegel Foundation/TPO Music Excellence Award concert and filled up both levels of the church sancturary.
Students and their families line up to register with Karen Bradford before the TPO Music Excellence Award concert.
Ray Singer hands the award certificate to Jian Jian Gao, a student at Homer Pittard Campus School,
Ray Singer and Andrea Norberg checks off awardees as they arrive.
The string ensemble performing
The wind ensemble performing
Deanna Little playing flute, accompanied by husband Windell Little on piano.
Stefan Petrescu playing violin, accompanied by pianist Windell Little.
Applause for awardees and the TPO ensembles playing,

Richard Siegel Foundation/TPO Music Excellence Award winners 2021 by school:

Blackman High School       

Alexandria Simpson

Chloe Schmidt

Rielly Harris

Savannah Schweikert

Blackman Middle School             

Ailyse Buabeng

Isabella Lysyczyn

Jenna Lynn Andersen

Katherin Adair

Brown’s Chapel Elementary School

Clara Weeks

Evie Bryant

Hailey Patterson

Hannah Riggs

Juliana Rojas

Nikko Deleon

Central Magnet School 

Alex Norwood

Amy Hopkins

Angel Hu

Anna Robertson

Elena Newburry

Jayden Po’e

Lincoln Sanders

Michael Sowell

Robert Deaton

Sophie Tan

Christiana Middle School            

Henry Black

Jeremiah Haney

William Pingitore

David Youree Elementary School

Carmello Rachakhamdee

Chyna Whitson

Laya Payton

Oscar Hernandez-Galarza

Parker Bashlor

Qamar A Abudaham

Eagleville School             

Abigail Rakes

Alaina Morelock

Bella Armstrong

Carson Puckett

Cason Puckett

Clare Bowman

Dalton Spence

Evelyn Bailo’n

Isaiah Reed

Oakley Hinds

Paige Martin

Homer Pittard Campus School  

Aaron Swanson

Collins Ogg

Hadley Legg

Jian Jian Gao

Noah Jones

Taylor Hale

Kittrell Elementary School          

Adelyn Lubash

Brylee Rogers

Colton Gay

Emma Delgado

Laila Milton

Sophia Bloom

Lascassas Elementary School     

Charlotte Kerstiens

Collins Bailey

Emma Bebout

Kason Hart

Maddox Lillis

Will Kerstiens

LaVergne High School   

Allie Lingerfelt

Emmanuel Tessema

Heissell Romero Pena

Idalia Soto

Julie Sprouse

Justin Arango

Omar Victor

Tiarra Morgan

LaVergne Lake Elementary         

Mia Salazar Lugo

LaVergne Middle School              

Camren Cone

Shayla Mondragon

Ximena Jimenez

McFadden School of Excellence

Charlotte Wunderlich

Isaac Dwyer

Lily Stuible

Sadie Call

Oakland High School     

Andrew Oblak

Eli Oliver

Elijah Johnson

Henry Wright

Oakland Middle School

Audrey Prescott

Ava Edwards

Zoey Duong

Rock Springs Middle School       

Arabella Cianci

Carly Taylor

Fiby Felib

Giselle Cianci

Makenzie Brown

Nick Bell

Rockvale High School    

Arethly Trejo

Macy Rose

Shelby Baltimore

Rockvale Middle School              

Austin Fort

Drew Denton

Michael Johnson

Rocky Fork Middle School          

Ameeria McClain

Emma Hall

Jason Meredith

Keturah Cesar

Madeline Wheatley

Norhan Abdelati

Siegel High School          

Ansley Barry

Jack Lane

Jada Baer

Kara Lane

Lucas Ferrara

Owen Langford

Rebecca Deal

Stephen Davis

Siegel Middle School    

Brayden Bishop

Charlie Arkenberg

Jenna Abbott

Rebecca Hopkins

Smyrna Elementary School        

Braden Brown

Brandon Perez

Dahlia Cook

Jason Dyer

Maggie Hollandsworth

Nevaeh Williams

Smyrna High School       

Alexia Krause

Emily Sholar

Ethan Wilson

Georgia Charlton

Henry Esquivel

Isabelle Cox

Jennifer Alvarez-Florez

Joey Phillips

Lauren Glaeser

Nathan Humpherys

Vivian Seay

Smyrna Middle School 

Aileen Fajardo

Braden Evreniadis

Kasandra Dela Rosa

Smyrna Primary School

Arianna Hazlett

Judah Mosley

Matthew Blates

Stewarts Creek Elementary School         

Eduardo Gonzalez

Jayla Hay

Lincoln Simons

Valentina Ofoli

William Blake Smith

Stewarts Creek Middle School  

Anderson Tarpley

Averie Kelly

Emma Locke

Hannah Conner

Jason Kern

Logan Pritchett

Stewarts Creek Elementary School         

Makenna Bryant

Thurman Francis Arts Academy

Madeleine Griffith

Makayla Dickens

Raleigh Giles Virginia Flega


Special Thank You

Karen Bradford, Lindsey Halford, participating teachers and schools, TPO Guild, and the many volunteers who helped make this possible

We salute our 2021 TPO Awards and Family Concert Sponsors

The Richard Siegel Foundation, City of Murfreesboro, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, TN Arts Commission.