Recipients of the Helen Buckman Awards for 2023

Sep 26, 2023 | Announcements

The Bucks County Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Helen Buckman Award, presented by the BCSO to an orchestra student at each Central Bucks high school who demonstrates exceptional dedication, leadership and musical ability. The award is named after a highly regarded Central Bucks music teacher who was one of the charter members of the Symphony and who was largely responsible for establishing the strong link that has existed between the orchestra and our schools for 70 years.

Recipients of the Helen Buckman Awards for 2023 are Lilly Johannan, Jordanna Keyser, and John (JP) Tomlinson.

Lilly Johannan served as the viola section leader in the CB South string orchestra and chamber orchestra. She was a member of various youth orchestras in the area, including the Philadelphia Sinfonia. She was selected multiple times for the Bucks County Music Festival, as well as PMEA District, Regional and All-State festivals. She is currently studying aeronautical engineering at MIT.

Jordanna Keyser served as concertmaster for both String Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra at CB East. She was president of the National Honor Society, president of Book Club, and a member of numerous other groups, including Tri-M Music Honor Society, National Thespian Honor Society, and Patriot Players. She is pursuing a degree in philosophy at Harvard University.

John (JP) Tomlinson was bass section leader for all of CB West’s string ensembles. He participated in Philadelphia Youth Orchestra and Youth Orchestra of Bucks County. He was chosen for honors orchestras at the county level each year since 7th grade, district level since 9th grade, regional level since 10th grade, all-state level since 11th grade, and for All-Eastern and All-National Orchestra Festivals.

The BCSO offers sincere congratulations to Lilly, Jordanna, and JP for their outstanding achievements in high school and for their ongoing commitment to musical excellence.