The Moore Philharmonic Orchestra has announced the winners of the 2007-2008 Concert Season Scholarship grants.

"We are delighted that in just three short years, our community orchestra scholarship fund has grown to the point where over $2,000 is being awarded for the 2007-2008 season," says Eric Kopecky, music director and conductor of the MPO.

The MPO scholarship grants are designated for use to attend summer music camp programs or to apply to private music lessons. The winners will receive up to $600 for one of these two important educational programs.

Kendall Bryant

Bryant lives in Carthage and is a ninth-grade student at Bryant Academy Home School. She has been playing the violin for five years, and plans to apply her scholarship toward private lessons. Bryant has competed in the Weymouth Festival for Young Musicians and has been chosen as a first violinist in the N.C. Junior High All-State Orchestra for the past three years.

Nainisha Chintalapudi

Chintalapudi has been studying the violin for three years under Shelly Johnson of West End. She will apply her scholarship towards private lessons. Chintalapudi is an eighth-grade student at Southern Pines Christian Academy and resides in West End. She was selected for the N.C. Junior High All-State Orchestra. She is also an accomplished pianist. This spring she was selected as a finalist in the Weymouth Festival for Young Musicians. Chintalapudi is currently the president of the Moore County Chapter of the Home School Honor Society.

Kaitlyn Johnson

Johnson is an 11th-grade student at Pine Grove School and plays the violin. She is the current concert mistress of the MPO and has been a member since it was formed. She has played the violin for 13 years and currently studies under Dr. Doris Powers of Chapel Hill and Eric Pritchard of the Duke University Ciompi Quartet. Her musical accomplishments include selection to the N.C. All-State symphony and string orchestras, finalist in the Weymouth Festival for Young Musicians from 2001-2008 and as concert mistress of the Moore All-County High School Orchestra 2005-2007. She plans to use her grant for private lessons. Johnson resides in West End.

Chase Johnson

Johnson began playing the violin at age four and changed to cello four years ago. He is a 10th-grade student at Pine Grove School and lives in West End. He plans to apply his grant towards private lessons with Leslie Alperin of Chapel Hill. Johnson is the principle cello in the Moore Philharmonic Orchestra. He was selected to the 2007 All-State Symphony Orchestra, principle cellist for the 2008 High School All-State String Orchestra and finalist for the Weymouth Festival for Young Musicians 2002-2008.

Rebekah Lynn

Lynn plays piano in the Moore Philharmonic Orchestra. She plans to use her scholarship to attend summer camp at Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C. Lynn is the pianist for Southside Baptist Church in Biscoe and has served as accompanist for both instrumental and vocal performers at churches in her community and in Pennsylvania. She also teaches piano privately. Lynn served in the music program as a missionary in Bangladesh in 2007. She is a home school student and resides in Biscoe.

The Moore Philharmonic Orchestra will begin rehearsals for the 2008-2009 season in September at Sandhills Community College. SCC will be hosting the new orchestra headquarters for rehearsals and concerts.

Registered students at the college are eligible to enroll in the MCO as an elective credit course.

For more information, visit www.mporchestra.com.