Supporting the Next Generation of Musicians

GBFOM Scholarship Program a resounding success!

In 2026, GBFOM awarded three $1,000 scholarships to high school graduates who will pursue music at the collegiate level. The Scholarship Committee was chaired by Patricia Hills and included Priscilla Wiedl, Peter Angelakos, and Allyn Foster. Read about the program here.

PHOTO: Left to right: Patricia Hills, winner Charlotte Zgliczynski, and Priscilla Wiedl.

Celebrating the 2026 GBFOM three $1,000 Scholarship recipients—and catching up with our 2025 winner Austin Vitello!

Eva Sanchez of West Seneca, an Orchard Park High School graduate, will study music composition at SUNY Fredonia.

Olivia Zientek of Hamburg, a violinist, will continue her music studies at Berklee in Boston.

Charlotte Zgliczynski of Lancaster will pursue bassoon performance at The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

Our 2025 inaugural recipient, Austin Vitello, shares below how the $1,000 Scholarship has impacted his life this past year.

"I have had a very rewarding musical year. Last summer, I was selected to perform with the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). Members of this highly prestigious ensemble are chosen through a rigorous national audition process. Each selected member receives a full scholarship that covers all participation fees, travel expenses, meals and housing, generously provided by Carnegie Hall. The orchestra, conducted by Maestro Gianandrea Noseda and featuring soloist Ray Chen, performed at Carnegie Hall and then toured major concert halls across the Pacific Rim, including Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Seoul. Needless to say, it was an incredible six weeks.

In September, I began my first year at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music in Houston, Texas. I love it there. I am fortunate to study with my internationally recognized bassoon teacher, Professor Benjamin Kamins, and I have already learned so much under his guidance. In addition to my weekly lessons and studio classes, I participated in masterclasses and performed in chamber music and symphony orchestra concerts, as well as the freshman recital. Because the Shepherd School’s enrollment is intentionally kept small and selective, every student, regardless of age, receives ample performance opportunities. At the conclusion of my first two semesters, I was very proud to have earned an overall university GPA of 3.85.

Currently, during summer 2026, I am enjoying a fellowship at the Kent Blossom Music Festival in Ohio. I have had a wonderful time making music with my peers, and I am looking forward to the program’s final concert, which will feature a side-by-side performance with The Cleveland Orchestra.

For the future, I am eagerly looking forward to my second year at Rice, and I hope to start auditioning professionally this fall."

Austin Vitello

2025 GBFOM Scholarship Winner

For more information about the annual Greater Buffalo Friends of Music High School Scholarship Program, visit our Young Musicians page.