2025 RBYAA Winners

A senior at Conrad Weiser High School. Ariel is heavily involved in the music program there and participates in the Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Pit Orchestra, Chorus, Choraleers, and Vocal Octet. He also is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Students and the National Honors Society. 

Ariel participates in several community musical activities including the Reading Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, and the West Chester University High School Honors Percussion Ensemble. 

Ariel volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and in the pits of the Sycamore Stage Theatre Company. 

Ariel has had success in numerous PMEA band, orchestra, and chorus festivals at the District, Region, and State levels and recently made All-East Orchestra. 

Ariel plans to study percussion performance at university or conservatory. He would like to thank the Ringgold Band for this incredible opportunity.

A highly achieved senior at Wilson High School. At school, Penn plays with the String Orchestra, Jazz Band, and in the pit for the school musicals. Penn has also earned the privilege of playing with the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 10 Orchestra, Northeast Region Orchestra, District 10 Band, and Region V Band. He has also won a spot in the All-State Orchestra, as well as ones with the Music Educators of Berks County (MEBC) Senior County Orchestra and MEBC Band, for all three years of his eligibility. 

Outside of school Penn serves as the Principal Bass of the Reading Symphony Youth Orchestra, is a permanent member of the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra, and occasionally plays with the Berks Sinfonietta. Although Penn mainly studies the classical double bass, he also enjoys studying piano with his teacher, Jim Neher. 

Despite dedicating most of his time to music, Penn is still a devoted student and is a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Wilson World Languages Scholar Association. After high school Penn plans on attending a music school to study classical double bass performance. A successful career in both performing and teaching is what Penn hopes to accomplish. 

Penn would like to thank the Ringgold Band for this award opportunity, and his private teacher Charles Breaux, Wilson High School Orchestra Director Kelly Kuhn, and his friends and family for helping and supporting him in his musical career.