NANM, Inc. | Scholarship Winners

Scholarship Winners

Matthew Alexander James, Saxophone

National First Place Winner

2026 NANM Competition for Brass & Woodwinds

Matthew Alexander James is a third-year Doctor of Music student at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL, where he studies with Geoffrey Deibel, Dannel Espinoza, Larry Panella, and Carlos Vega. He performs actively as a soloist and chamber musician, including with the Solstice Reed Quintet, and directs the FSU Saxophone Orchestra. Recent appearances include the New World Symphony and Florida State University Wind Orchestra, along with a performance at the International Navy Band Saxophone Symposium with the Project Fusion Saxophone Quartet. A passionate advocate for new music, Matthew has organized commissions and premiered works by composers including Marc Mellits and

Steve Danyew, most recently commissioning and performing Mellits' Swirl with Dannel Espinoza at the 44th International Navy Band Saxophone Symposium. Beyond performing and teaching, Matthew works in audio-visual production, documenting performances and creating educational content to bring music to new audiences. He is equally committed to arts advocacy, supporting community-based initiatives and serving on the Professional Development, Programming, and DEIBA committees for the North American Saxophone Alliance. A frequent presenter, he speaks on topics ranging from saxophone pedagogy to belonging and accessibility in classical music, and aspires to keep growing as a saxophonist, pedagogue, and researcher.

Shaka Marko Lwaki

FRENCH HORN

Second Place Winner

Avery Elyse Robinson

TROMBONE

Third Place Winner

Michael John Holloway

TUBA

Fourth Place Winner

Milik Green, Percussion

National First Place Winner

2026 New Century Competition for Percussion

Milik S. Green was born and raised in Orangeburg, South Carolina. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, earning a bachelor's degree in music with a minor in Education. He is currently enrolled in the Graduate School of Valdosta State University, majoring in Percussion Performance, and plans to pursue a Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance. His goal is to teach students from diverse backgrounds and help students of color excel in their musical dreams.

Najee J. Marcelin

PERCUSSION

Second Place Winner

Torrance L. Buntyn, Jr.

PERCUSSION

Third Place Winner

Mira Walker, piano

National First Place Winner

2025 NANM Competition for Piano

Mira Walker is quickly building a career as a performer known for her sensitive interpretations of repertoire ranging from J.S. Bach to Florence Price. Mira completed her B.A. in Music at the University of Alabama at Birmingham with Yakov Kasman, and her M.M. in Piano Performance at Indiana University with Norman Krieger. She is currently a D.M.A. candidate in Piano Pedagogy and Performance at the University of Michigan under the instruction of Logan Skelton and John Ellis, where she also serves as a Graduate Student Instructor. Her dissertation work focuses on the pedagogical legacy of Margaret Bonds.

Mira’s honors include top prizes in dozens of competitions, including the NFMC Collegiate Piano Competition and the Alabama Symphony Concerto Competition. In recognition of Mira’s excellence in teaching, she was awarded the Joanne Smith Award for Piano Pedagogy in 2023. Mira has been a featured soloist with orchestras such as the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and the National Ukrainian Symphony and appears at international music festivals such as the Gilmore Festival, Gijón International Piano Festival, Vivace International Music Festival, and Brevard Music Institute. She has presented and performed at national and international conferences such as MTNA, NCKP, and CMS/IAWM. Most recently, Mira recorded works by Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, Irene Britton Smith, and Nathaniel Dett for the Michigan Recording Project, and was awarded a Rackham Doctoral Fellowship to work with A Seat at the Piano, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting inclusion in piano repertoire. During the summer of 2025, she is working with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to provide community programming in neighborhoods around the city of Detroit.

Yidou Zhao

PIANO

Second Place Winner

Kenoly Kadia

PIANO

Third Place Winner

Matthew Daley, organ

First Place Winner

2025 New Century Competition for Organ

Matthew Daley began his musical journey inspired by his mother, pursuing a career in both performance and music education. He earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in piano performance from the University of Maryland, during which time he also developed a passion for the organ. His early organ studies included mentorship from Dale Krider, William Neal of the National Symphony Orchestra, and ultimately Dr. John Walker, former President of the American Guild of Organists.

To further his development as a church musician and organist, Matt was awarded a full scholarship to the Yale University School of Music, where he studied with renowned organist Thomas Murray. During his time at Yale, he earned a second master's degree and was honored with the Julia R. Sherman Memorial Prize for Excellence in Organ Playing. His pursuit of artistic and academic excellence continued at the University of Southern California, where he received another full scholarship to study as a doctoral student under the distinguished Cherry Rhodes.

Dr. Daley has served as a church musician at various congregations across the United States, bringing a wealth of experience and passion to his ministry. He currently serves in dual roles: as organist and collaborative artist at Lake Avenue Congregational Church in Pasadena, California, and as worship music director at Vallejo Drive Seventh-day Adventist Church in Glendale, California.

Malik Jardine

ORGAN

Second Place Winner

Amber Rogers, soprano

National First Place Winner

2024 Competition for Voice

Central Region

AMBER ROGERS, soprano, is quickly making a name for herself throughout Metro Detroit. Amber completed her undergraduate studies at Oberlin Conservatory where she studied with Timothy LeFebvre. During her time at Oberlin Amber performed in Puccini’s Suor Angelica as La Zelatrice with Bel canto in Tuscany. Now at the University of Michigan, Amber studies with Dr. Louise Toppin. On the concert and oratorio stage Rogers had sung the soprano solo for Schubert’s : Mass in G as well as Beethoven’s Mass in C.

Recently Amber won First place in the 2024 George Shirley competition as well as winning a spiritual prize. Amber was also a Finalist in the 2025 University of Michigan Concerto Competition. She will be performing the role of Donna Elvira in Luke Housners production of Don Giovanni by W. A. Mozart this July in Philadelphia. In the Fall of 2024 Amber will make her role debut with University of Michigan Opera as Gretel in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel.