PYO Music Institute Associate Concertmaster Stephanie van Duijn received a $7,500 BIG ARTS SANIBEL CLASSICAL MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP this winter to support the continuation of her violin studies. The 17-year-old student who lives in Philadelphia, PA and Fort Myers, Florida, is a junior in a home school education program.

She and two other students – Brian Henry (percussion) and Sodie Finebone (tuba) – were the winners in this year’s scholarship awards that support students who have professional goals to pursue training in classical music instruments.  BIG ARTS has been providing cultural enrichment and fulfillment to Sanibel Island area residents since 1979.

Stephanie van Duijn started playing the violin when she was seven years old. She currently studies with Kimberly Fisher, Principal Second of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Glenn Basham, Concertmaster of the Naples Philharmonic. She enjoys playing chamber music, and has played in several string quartets. She is currently the Concertmaster of Philadelphia Sinfonia and as well as Associate Concertmaster of the PYO Music Institute.

The talented violinist has won numerous regional and state concerto competitions. She performed as soloist with the Southwest Florida Youth Symphony, Philadelphia Sinfonia, Naples Philharmonic, and Southwest Florida Symphony, and as Bach Double Concerto Competition Winner at the Philadelphia International Music Festival, she performed the Bach Double Concerto with Marc Rovetti of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

PYO Music Institute President and Music Director, Louis Scaglione, is very happy for Stephanie and knows that she is a student with great skill and ambition. He said recently, “We all congratulate Stephanie for receiving this impressive scholarship. She has been a great asset to PYO as well as other music performance organizations.”