Congratulations to our 2026 Winners!
The Charles W. England Scholarship provides scholarships to graduating high school seniors pursuing college-level studies in the arts, supports mentorship and professional development for early-career musicians, and helps bring live music and educational outreach to public spaces throughout our region.
Robin Brown
Robin Brown is a 2026 graduate of Oneonta High School. She has been playing the trombone for over eight years and has studied under various teachers such as Matthew Oram, Paul Blake, Mike DePauw, and Paul Jenkins. She has also studied piano with Sandy Denicore and Sandy McKane. In the fall of 2026, she plans to attend Ithaca College for music performance. Her major accomplishments include receiving outstanding scores on several level six NYSSMA solos and playing in the NYSSMA 2024 Conference All-State Symphonic Band. One of the things she loves most about playing the trombone is the opportunity to work together with other people to create music.
Nathaniel Shuhan
Nathaniel Shuhan is an incoming freshman at Vanderbilt University, where he will study Piano Performance at the Blair School of Music under the guidance of Dr. Sun-A Park. A native of Ithaca, New York, Nathaniel was a member of the Ithaca High School Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band and served as pianist for the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Youth Orchestra throughout high school. Nathaniel is passionate about making music with others. He studied piano at Opus Ithaca School of Music with Dr. Andrea Merrill and spent five summers at Luzerne Music Center, where he studied with Aniko Szokody and Marco Stuparevic. In 2023, Nathaniel won the Luzerne Music Center Senior Division Concerto Competition, placed second in the Nazareth University Piano Competition, and received the Diversity in Music Award. That same year, he was also the runner-up in the Senior Piano Division of the Heddy Kilian Empire State Competition. In the summer of 2024, Nathaniel was awarded the Skaneateles Festival Robinson Award. Later that year, he won the Lee Strebel Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Concerto Competition. During the summers of 2024 and 2025, he attended the Brevard Music Center as a student in the Piano Institute program. When he is not at the piano, Nathaniel enjoys golfing with his older brothers, spending time with family, and playing basketball with friends.
Ben Varano
Ben Varano played Percussion and Drum Set at Vestal High School with Jennifer Pham, as well as studied privately with Chris Adams. “Being a musician is an amazing thing, I have the ability to express myself freely beyond what words can do.” Ben’s passion for music has helped him accomplish many achievements, such as being the alternate All State Jazz Band Drum Set player, being a 3-year All County Drum Set player, as well as being the principal percussionist in the Binghamton Youth Symphony. He’s had the opportunity to perform to thousands of people online and in shows/concerts with his personal bands. Ben plans to take his passion to Boston at Berklee College of Music to pursue a career in Music Performance and Business.
Michael Qi
Michael Qi attends Ithaca Senior High School. He currently takes lessons with Augusto Diemecke, but was a former student of Linda Case. Michael is actively engaged in the musical community, serving as concertmaster in his school orchestra and in the CCOYO, led by conductor Kirsten Marshall. He also takes part in the Ithaca Suzuki Music Education Heifetz Violin ensemble, a premiere tour group also led by Kirsten Marshall and Sarah Cummings. Michael loves music because it is a language without words. Music is a way human beings can bond and grow together, and he personally loves the way he can express emotions and connect with others through music. Additionally, music is an escape from the real world and allows Michael to grow and take part in a community where he has control and is able to make an impact. His biggest musical accomplishment was being selected for the NYS All-State symphony orchestra: the only violinist from Ithaca and Tompkins County in recent years to play for the state’s top orchestra. Next year, Michael will be attend the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Biochemistry. He plans to join the Penn symphony orchestra and various chamber groups, with a long-term goal of playing for a semi-profesional to a professional-level orchestra in the city he resides in. Michael currently plans to become a Pharmaceutical researcher, never letting go of the lessons music has taught him.