Scholarships
We have been supporting our music students' post-secondary education by providing scholarships since 1967. Below is a brief overview of our scholarships along with a complete listing of scholarship recipients awarded by the organization.
Dr. Ernest Ersfeld Music Scholarship
Dr. Ernest Ersfeld was a member of the Nutley Music Department faculty from 1951 until his retirement in 1982 as District Director of Music.
During his tenure in Nutley he was very instrumental in developing what the music department is now today, serving as the director of all music ensembles until the appointment of Mr. Lester Hrbek as Band Director in 1956 and Mr. Raymond Kohere as Choir Director in 1957.
He was an integral part of music advocacy in Nutley both as Director of Music Education in the school system and within the larger community as the Conductor of the Nutley Symphony Orchestra.
Lester Hrbek Instrumental Music Scholarship
Mr. Lester Hrbek was the Nutley High School Band Director from 1956 to 1986.
During his 30 years of teaching, the Raider Band became a charter member of the Herald–News Band Festival and also had the privilege of performing at the 1964 NY World’s Fair, at a halftime Show for the NY Jets Football Team at Shea Stadium, and performed by invitation on the steps of the US Senate Building and the Lincoln Memorial, and for numerous Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Parades in Orlando, Florida.
After retiring from teaching, Mr. Hrbek continued as a member of the Executive Board with the North Jersey Band Festival until his passing in 2013.
Raymond Kohere Vocal Music Scholarship
Mr. Raymond Kohere for 37 years taught generations of Nutley residents and brought music and art to many through teaching, directing multiple choral groups and eventually moving on to the administration of the music programs in the district. In addition, he shared his joy of skiing as the school ski club leader. He also sang professionally, for many years as a baritone soloist at Riverside Church in New York City.
McBride Family Scholarship
Scholarship awarded by the McBride Family.
Scholarship Winners
Music Parents Association of Nutley
1967 Susan Anthony & Tyson Taylor
1968 Joseph Fikentscher & Merrill Heidt
1969 Edward Goode & Russell Merritt
1970 Josephine Falzone
1971 Vicki Guarino, Robert Patterson & Jeanine Szlompek
Music Boosters Association of Nutley
1972 Susan Maccari
1973 Lawrence Hoogerhyde
1974 Samuel Andriano (Band Parents)
Samuel Andriano (Orchestra Parents)
Renee Bernardo (Choral Parents)
1975 Michael Giorgio and Tama Lane
1976 Kathy Natale (Band Parents)
Mark Lampariello and Steven Riccardelli (Orchestra Parents)
1977 Laura Liloia & Cynthia Young (Chorus Parents)
Alan Kiss & Peter Stark (Orchestra Parents)
1978 Joanne Pospisil (Chorus Parents)
Robin Mattarochio (Orchestra Parents)
1979 Francis Capalbo (Band Parents)
Doreen Campanile (Chorus Parents)
Francis Capalbo (Orchestra Parents)
1980 Lydia Bruno (Band Parents)
Lydia Bruno (Chorus Parents)
Jon Welch (Orchestra Parents)
1981 Regina Brija (Band & Orchestra Parents)
1982 Lucia Baratta (Chorus Parents)
Janet Cicero (Orchestra Parents)
1983 Paul Bruno, Eileen Duffy & Jainine Gambaro
1984 John Peccarelli (Orchestra)
Julia Sochko (Chorus)
1985 Deana Malsman & Michelle Masen (Band)
Frances Duffy (Chorus)
Nutley Music Boosters Association
1986 Melanie Mitrano
1987 Jennifer Kane
1988 J. Frank Vespa-Papeleo
1989 Jeanne Kwik & Linda Onorevole
1990 Jennifer Sochko
1991 Beth Nicholas
1992 Bridget Coffey, Daniel Fahricatore &Michael Saporito
1993 Erik Carlson
1994 John Griffith (Instrumental)
Mary Orman (Vocal)
1995 Michael Fabricatore (Kohere - Music)
1996 Angela Guerriero (Kohere - Instrumental)
Patricia Olivo (Kohere – Vocal)
1997 David Reiner (Kohere - Instrumental)
Cynthia Tomm (Kohere - Vocal)
1998 Shannon Dyer (Kohere)
Robert Suchocki (Ersfeld)
1999 Anne Marie Levey (Kohere)
Paul Mangarelli, Katherine Moncelsi & Kenneth Wannemacher (Ersfeld)
2000 Janelle Murphy (Ersfeld)
Terri Pongracz (Hrbek)
2001 Vanessa Arnold, Sarah Schreiber & En-Tseh Wang (Kohere)
Aaron Tripoldi and Nicholas Van Dorn (Hrbek)
2002 Marisa Cucuzza, Laura Lobay & Maureen Russo (Kohere)
Stephanie Rauco (Ersfeld)
Anthony Gabriele, Nicole Kropp & Mark Patterson (Hrbek)
2003 Kyle Burton, Emily Griesbach & Larissa Lovejoy (Hrbek)
2004 Amy Lachenauer (Ersfeld)
Jonathan Bender, Dawn Ennis & Marybeth Lawton (Hrbek)
2005 Danielle Meola (Ersfeld)
Melissa Coppola, Matthew Holly, Mark Sost & Vincent Vicchiariello (Hrbek)
2006 Catherine Falduto (Ersfeld)
Danielle Durando, Mark Kilianski, Megan McBride & Mark Russo (Hrbek)
2007 Alyssa Flaherty (Ersfeld)
Jordyn Gallagher, Christopher Georgetti & Lisa Marie Pagano (Hrbek)
2008 Kara Cuadra, Kimberly Lovejoy, Lauren Rauschenberger & Oscar Rodriguez (Hrbek)
Lauren Rauschenberger (McBride)
2009 Gabrielle Bereski, Andrew Russell & Antonio Sanzone (Hrbek)
Jillian Costa (Ersfeld)
Lea Pizzarelli (McBride)
2010 Cori Crisci (Ersfeld)
Daniel Holly, Peter Jones, Jonathan Konel & Timothy Larigan (Hrbek)
Timothy Larigan (McBride)
2011 Irene Kim (Ersfeld)
Joshua Budzinski, Nicole Costa, Matthew Duhm & Karl Gilbert (Hrbek)
Michael Rilli (McBride)
2012 Stefanie Alfonso, Tyler Huey, Steven Nowakowski, Michael Tilley & Evan Tyerman (Hrbek)
Ashley Haas (McBride)
2013 Gina Melillo & Olivia Russell (Ersfeld)
Zachariah Calluori, Christopher Cela, Michelle Mayrer, David Roghanian,
Alexander Sabo & Amanda Ly (Hrbek)
Stephanie Rubinstein (McBride)
2014 Fares Sukkar & Kimberly Weitzel (Ersfeld)
Eric Dieterle, Joshua Idio & John Salimbene (Hrbek)
Aiden Braun (McBride)
2015 Nicholas Salernitano & Dana Testa (Ersfeld)
Nicholas Cela, Sabrina Lopez & Brandon O'Brien (Hrbek)
Alexa Majana (McBride)
2016 Alec Duffy & Catherine Rubens (Ersfeld)
Anthony Costa & Marlena Cugliari (Hrbek)
Michael Bereski (McBride)
2017 Thomas Boniello, Stephanie Calluori & Zachary Sebek (Ersfeld)
Amy Ciminnisi, Ian Frobose, Sofia Pramagioulis & Anthony J. Salimbene (Hrbek)
Anthony J. Salimbene & Zachary Vaporis (McBride)
2018 Margaret Redstone & Charles Scorsone (Ersfeld)
Nicholas Harabedian, Hannie Dahanuwala & Saiyam Roy (Hrbek)
Shawna Lewis & Charles Scorsone (McBride)
2019 Evan Harzer, Thais Jimenez, Anthony Meola & Athina Pramgioulis (Hrbek)
Micaela Mengen, Natalie Menich & Yawen Xu (Ersfeld)
Anthony Meola (McBride)
2020 Ava Demerjian, Zachary Mackewicz, Emory Osmani & Sophy Vuong (Hrbek)
Raiza Machado, Gabrielle Mackewicz, Alexis Merritt & Paula Sholander (Ersfeld)
Zachary Mackewicz & Nicholle Tamara (McBride)
2021 Victoria Alameda, Meredith Carson & Kirsten Patalinjug (Hrbek)
Luke Surretsky, Samantha Daly & Anna Rabbia (Ersfeld)
Meredith Carson (McBride)
2022 Katelyn Fitzpatrick, Diana Mendoza-Zavala & Ethan Tran (Ersfeld)
Brendan Gaschke, Ethan Ramos & Dorian Wylde (Hrbek)
Roger Dieterle (McBride)
2023 Jacob Caney, Anjelica Duffy & Caroline Ritacco (Ersfeld)
Isabella Bonilla, Ben Coulson & Andrea Gavidia (Hrbek)
Amanda Bordei, Valeria Flores & Alyanna Maglaqui (Kohere)
Caroline Ritacco (McBride)