Southeastern's Community Music School names outstanding musicians
Thursday, December 19, 2019
by: Tonya Lowentritt
SOUTHEASTERN CMS NAMES PIANIST AS OUTSTANDING MUSICIAN - Southeastern Louisiana University’s
Community Music School recently announced its Fall 2019 Outstanding Musicians. Pianist
Natalie Fulks was chosen by audience votes during the final fall 2019 recitals.
SOUTHEASTERN CMS NAMES VIOLONIST AS OUTSTANDING MUSICIAN - Southeastern Louisiana
University’s Community Music School recently announced violinist Brennan Saenz as
one of its Fall 2019 Outstanding Musicians. Saenz is also one of the 2019 winners
of the Southeastern Community Music School’s Concerto Competition and performed as
a soloist with the Southeastern Symphony in October.
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University’s Community Music School announced
pianist Natalie Fulks and violinist Brennan Saenz as its Fall 2019 CMS Outstanding
Musicians. The first and second runner up winners are violinists Kelsey Jones, Alana
Saenz and Lily Anderson.
The Outstanding Musicians and runner up winners were chosen by the votes of the
audience in the fall 2019 final recitals.
“We congratulate our Fall 2019 CMS Outstanding Musicians, as well as the first
and second runner up winners. Their talent and accomplishments are nothing short of
impressive. They show a commitment to their art that is truly admirable especially
for students their age,” said Community Music School Director Jivka Duke. “We are
also very grateful for a wonderful roster of experienced and dedicated instructors
who do an amazing job nurturing and growing all of our students’ musical gifts.”
Duke said she looks forward to an exciting spring 2020 semester when CMS will
continue to offer individual lessons on various instruments and voice and will also
host the annual Spring Festival and Concerto Competition.
Fulks lives in Albany. She is eight years old and a fourth-grade gifted student
at University View Academy, a virtual school. She began taking piano lessons in June
of 2018. When she is not learning or playing the piano, she enjoys competitive gymnastics,
reading, learning about science, and spending time with her family.
Saenz is from Mandeville. He is 11 years old, and is a sixth grade student at
Lake Harbor Middle School. He has played violin for five years, piano for three years,
and he recently started playing saxophone for his middle school band. Saenz and his
younger sister Alana are this year’s winners of the concerto competition at the Greater
New Orleans Youth Orchestra for the Sinfonia Division. They performed as soloists
with GNOYO in March and were invited to play at the 2019 New Orleans French Quarter
Festival in July. He is also one of the 2019 winners of the Southeastern Community
Music School’s Concerto Competition and performed as a soloist with the Southeastern
Symphony in October. He loves all kinds of music, and enjoys being a part of the St.
Tammany Parish Talented Music Program.
For more information about CMS programs and general registration, call 985-549-5502,
or visit the CMS website at www.southeastern.edu/cms.
