Girard Academic Music Program’s Isabel Morales is making waves for her musical talent outside of the District. The junior recently won first place in the strings division at the Lancaster Women’s Symphony Competition. As part of the prize, she will perform the first movement of Dvorak Cello Concerto on June 15 with the Allegro Chamber Orchestra of Lancaster.

Isabel’s achievement comes during Music in our Schools Month. March was designated as an annual celebration of music education by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME)i as a way to celebrate its benefits for schools and communities across the nation.

Isabel also recently appeared as soloist with the Ambler Symphony and the Old York Road Symphony, having won their youth concerto competitions. The talented musician started studying cello at age 4, choosing to play cello like her father, who is a professional cellist.

Outside of GAMP, Isabel attends the Temple University Center for Gifted Young Musicians, where she plays in the orchestra and a quartet. She is a member of the Ann Newman String Quartet, an Advanced Study Chamber Music Group of Settlement Music School. The Newman Quartet was recently one of only 20 groups in the country selected for the quarterfinals of the Fischoff Competition, a prestigious chamber music competition in South Bend, Indiana in May. The ensemble was also recently awarded Gold Medal in the Bösendorfer Youth Music Fes

tival of The German Society of Philadelphia.

Isabel would like to pursue a degree in cello performance in college, in possible combination with a fashion or marine biology major.

Besides her involvement in cello activities, Isabel also enjoys musical theater and was recently featured as Karen in GAMP’s production of Mean Girls.