Sixteen students from the Pascale Music Institute, based in South Pasadena, won top honors at the prestigious Diamond Bar Performance Art Competition in July.

Young musicians from the Pascale Music Institute celebrate their victories at the Diamond Bar Performance Art Competition.

Sixteen local students age 7 to 12, from the South Pasadena-based Pascale Music Institute, directed by Susan Pascale, swept top honors at the Diamond Bar Performance Arts Competition (DBPAC), held on July 19 in Diamond Bar, California.

The students performed in quintets, quartets or solo, on violin, viola, cello or bass. Some of the winning performances are online at the Pascale Method for Beginning Violin Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pascale-Method-for-Beginning-Violin/437624182975268.

“The DBPAC is a wonderful competition that our students participate in every summer,” notes Pascale. “They work really hard together and individually, and even practice diligently in the summer. Along with the Diamond Bar competition, they performed in several recitals this summer, including two at the Shakespeare Club of Pasadena,” she adds. “Everyone benefits – the kids love the camaraderie and the level of the playing goes up.”

The winners and their performances included:

1. ‘The Pascale Method Quartet’: Andres Engleman, violin, (Glendale); Holly Lacey, violin, (South Pasadena); Isabella Realzola, violin, (Temple City); and Paulina Salazar, cello, (San Gabriel) performed “Concerto in E Minor” by Charles Avison.

2. ‘Four Strings Quintet’: Ashley Mok, violin, (Temple City); Reo Snyder, violin, (South Pasadena); Emma Phillips, viola, (South Pasadena); Jenna Pascale, cello, (South Pasadena); and Sebastian Salazar, bass, (San Gabriel) performed “String Quartet No. 8” by Dmitri Shostakovich.

3. Holly Lacey (South Pasadena), violin, performed “Gavotte in D Major” by J.S. Bach.

4. Bianca Howitt, violin, (Glendale) performed “Humoresque” by Antonín Dvořák.

5. Jenna Okohira, violin (South Pasadena) performed “Concerto No. 23 First Movement” by Giovanni Battista Viotti.

6. Jenna Pascale, cellist, (South Pasadena) performed “Concerto No.1 in a Minor” by Camille Saint Saëns.

For more information, go to stringsprogram.com or contact the Pascale Music Institute at (626) 403-4611.