2024 Youth Excellence in Arts (YEA!) Awards &
Don Lewis “Say YES to Music” Grants
PCAC is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2024 Youth Excellence in Arts (YEA!) Awards and the inaugural Don Lewis “Say Yes to Music” Grants. Hosted by the Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council, the awards ceremony took place on March 17 at Valley Community Church in Pleasanton. These awards stand as a testament to the remarkable artistic talents and achievements of high school students in Pleasanton, recognizing their brilliance in literary arts, music, and visual arts. While the YEA! Awards have been recognizing our talented youth since their establishment in 1997, this year marks the exciting inception of the Don Lewis “Say Yes to Music” Grants, furthering the celebration of creativity and innovation in the realm of music. Congratulations to all our winners for their dedication, passion, and outstanding contributions to the arts community.
MUSIC – RENE AND GORDON SMITH AWARDS
(Special thanks to our 2024 Music judges – Bob Williams and Mark Aubel!)
1st Place: Yufei Shen, viola. Bach Cello Suite no. 2: Courante (arranged for viola)
2nd Place: Claire Lee, flute. Mozart Flute Concerto K314 First Movement
3rd Place: Leyuan Zhang, cello. Dvorak Cello Concerto
Honorable Mention: Katherine Yoo, piano. Fantaisie-Impromptu in C minor, Op.
Honorable Mention: Meghna Thumri, Violin, Zigeunerweisen by Pablo de Sarasate
LITERARY ARTS – DR MAX BIGGS AWARDS
(Special thanks to our 2024 Literary Arts judges – Jim Ott and Amy Moellering!)
1st Place: Rachel Zhou, Your Pond
2nd Place: Alyssa Wu, Yellow
3rd Place: Jessica Jiang, The Storyteller’s Story
Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Hong, First Language
Honorable Mention: Eunoo Cho, Calypso
VISUAL ARTS – PHYLLIS AND WILLIAM WENTWORTH AWARDS
(Special thanks to our 2024 Visual Arts judges – Sydney Tang and Joan Tenbrink!)
1st Place: Elliot Lim, A Spark of Inspiration, pencil
2nd Place: Rachel Zhou, Americana, watercolor
3rd Place: Eleanor Chen, Serenity, colored pencil
Honorable Mention: Doyun Lee, Say Yes to Music, digital art
Honorable Mention: Jenny Fu, Meditation, watercolor
Honorable Mention: Abrianna Zhang, Neighbor, oil
Don Lewis “Say YES to Music” Grants
During his career, Don Lewis performed his “Say YES to Music!” Assemblies for thousands of youth worldwide inspiring them to follow their dreams and to make music a part of their lives. The Rotary Club of Pleasanton has established the Don Lewis “Say YES to Music!” Grant to memorialize Don and to keep his legacy alive by supporting and encouraging young musicians in their music education and goals.
Thank you to this year’s award presenter, Julie Lewis (wife of Don Lewis) and judges – Jeff Bordes, Julio Leung, Mark Aubel, Dick Stafford, and Julie Lewis!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2024 GRANT WINNERS
Yufei Shen, viola, $500.00 Grant
Minna Fu, piano, $500.00 Grant
Niko Macario, guitar, “The Good Life”; Music composition and production by Niko Macario, $1,000.00 Grant
