Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra Announces Stults Family Instrument Scholarship Award

The Santa Rosa Symphony, via the Stults Family Instrument Scholarship, presented Nicholas Hidy, a member of the Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra (SRSYO), with a professional-quality French horn to further his musical career. The Stults Family Instrument Scholarship is made possible by a donation of $15,000 by the Stults Family.

The Stults Family Instrument Scholarship Award recipient was chosen from the SRSYO, based on talent and need. Only applicants who were enrolled in private lessons and who agreed to remain with the orchestra for at least one more season were considered. Hidy has been taking lessons from SRS trumpet player Daniel Gianola-Norris at Music to My Ears in Cotati for five years.

Hidy said in his application, “…I know that music makes other people happy and that, along with my love for it, is why I want to continue with it throughout my life.”

After an exhaustive search, sampling several instruments, Nicholas and his parents, Denise Zukowski and Jim Hidy, chose a New Alexander 200MAL double horn from the Wichita Band Instrument Co., Inc. Hidy’s father says the search for a professional-quality instrument has “changed Nick’s life. He described the difference between two of the horns he tried, like the difference between a Subaru and a Ferrari.” He chose the Ferrari.

SRS President and CEO Alan Silow says, “This is the largest donation we’ve ever received for a young musician scholarship, and it is the first of its kind for our Training Young Musicians program. The Symphony is very grateful for this opportunity to help support one of our young musicians in such a tangible and meaningful way.”

A serious young musician, Hidy has played the French horn for six years, at school and with the SRS’ Preparatory and Repertory Orchestras, before being accepted into SRSYO in the 2014-2015 season, which took him on tour in China. He also plays trombone, piano, ukulele, trumpet and digeridoo. In addition to playing in the Analy High School Honor and Jazz bands and its orchestra and youth orchestra, Hidy, inspired by his SRSYO China tour, formed his own Dixieland Jazz band, The Rusty Suspenders, which performed to an audience of 800 at the Sebastopol Cajun/Zydeco/Delta Rhythm Festival in September of 2016.

The recipient selection committee included SRSYO conductor Richard Loheyde, SRS Director of Education (and professional cellist) Wendy Cilman and SRSYO Manager (and professional flutist) Jane Shelly, with the donor also participating in the final selection process.