MULTIMEDIA
The National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. is an organization rich in musical history, and is supported by people of strong cultural ideals and high musical standards. We welcome you to view various media that showcases our "Pride in a cultural heritage."
Please use the links below to navigate to the appropriate page.
MULTIMEDIA
The National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. is an organization rich in musical history, and is supported by people of strong cultural ideals and high musical standards. We welcome you to view various media that showcases our "Pride in a cultural heritage."
Please use the links below to navigate to the appropriate page.
Scholarship Winners

Solomon Leonard, viola
National First Place Winner
2023 Competition for Strings and Harp
Western Region
Solomon Leonard, a 20-year-old violist, began playing in middle school at the age of 11. He is currently a rising Junior at Oberlin College and Conservatory, where he is majoring in Viola Performance with a minor in African American Music. Solomon’s goal is to create and play timeless music that touches people worldwide, primarily as a soloist with orchestras and as a leader of his own band. Dedicated to Viola with its warm tones that Solomon compares to the human heartbeat, he has also embraced playing the drums, piano, and Djembe.
Contributing greatly to the love and joy of the Viola, and music overall, are the diverse performing opportunities from Disney Hall to the Getty and the California African American Museum, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and many churches and concert halls throughout Los Angeles.
Solomon’s musical leadership began early in middle school with the responsibilities of holding the position of Principal Violist with the Philharmonic Orchestra in seventh grade. He has been a member of the Inner-City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles since 2017 and a member of the Watts Willowbrook Jazz Ensemble since 2019. He has been a member of various Chamber Music Ensembles, with the Colburn School Chamber Program, and with the Junior Chamber Music of Los Angeles, where his ensemble has been designated an Honors Chamber Group. Solomon has also performed professionally with the Riverside Philharmonic.
Solomon’s experience ranges from his first performance of jazz music at the historic Catalina Club Bar & Grill as a member of the Watts-Willowbook Conservatory and Youth Symphony, under the direction of Billy Mitchell, performing with violinist Karen Briggs. Also, on the Big Screen with members of the LACHSA Orchestra, Solomon performed at the 2020 Grammy’s during a Performance Tribute to long-time Executive Producer Ken Ehrlich, for his commitment to Arts in Education along with artists such as Common, Camila Cabello Joshua Bell, Lang Lang, and more. He is also the 2021 NAACP ACT-SO Gold Medal winner in Instrumental Music-Classical.
When in Los Angeles, he studies and works with Dr. Minor Wetzel, a member of the LA Philharmonic. At Oberlin Conservatory, he studies with Peter Slowik, Jamey Haddad, and Weedie Braimah, among other Oberlin faculty and guest artists. He is a member of the Oberlin Orchestra, Contemporary Music Ensemble, Djembe Orchestra, Performance & Improvisation Ensemble, and ‘The New Standard’ Band.

Ruth Kelley
VIOLIN
Second Place Winner
Southeastern Region

Annokeywaa Oppong-Wadie
VIOLIN
Honorable Mention
Central Region

Christian Harvey
DOUBLE BASS
Third Place Winner
Southwestern Region

Thapelo Masita
CELLO
Honorable Mention
Eastern Region


Terry Andrews, flute
National First Place Winner
2022 Competition for Winds, Brass, and Percussion

Tabitha Johnson, piano
National First Place Winner
2021 Competition for Piano & Organ

Edwin J. Davis, bass
National First Place Winner
2019 Centennial Competition for Voice

Maguette Ndiaye, flute
National First Place Winner
2018 Competition for Winds, Brass & Percussion

Annelle K. Gregory, violin
National First Place Winner
2017 Competition for Strings

Justin Austin, baritone
National First Place Winner
2016 Competition for Voice

Leonard Hayes, piano
National First Place Winner
2015 Competition for Piano

Keenan McKoy, saxophone
National First Place Winner
2014 Competition for Winds, Brass, & Percussion

Prince Namati Nyatanga, organ
National First Place Winner
2013 Competition for Organ

Edward Kelly Sanford, violin
National First Place Winner
2012 Competition for Strings

Rebecca Eaddy, soprano
National First Place Winner
2011 Competition for Voice

Jeremy Jordan, piano
National First Place Winner
2010 Competition for Piano