When you think music schools there乌鸦传媒檚 one name that stands out above the rest.

Julliard.

And that乌鸦传媒檚 exactly where a Salmon Arm pianist is headed 乌鸦传媒� with a part of the financial costs being contributed by the city乌鸦传媒檚 premier music festival.

Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, 18, is this year乌鸦传媒檚 recipient of the Roots &Blues Fine Arts Development Scholarship.

The award is open to a graduate of School District #83 who is going on to post-secondary education in the fine arts field, either in a performance or production capacity.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a really great honour,乌鸦传媒� says Izik-Dzurko. 乌鸦传媒淭he community and Roots & Blues has been so supportive, it makes me feel really good to be representing Salmon Arm on a larger musical stage. The amount of support that this community has given, I couldn乌鸦传媒檛 ask to live in a better place. It is partly because of this support that I am able to move forward with my dream at Julliard.乌鸦传媒�

The $1,000 scholarship is part of the Roots & Blues board乌鸦传媒檚 commitment to community engagement and supporting the fine arts in our area,乌鸦传媒� says Steve Atkins, board member. 乌鸦传媒淲e have a commitment to performing arts in this community and supporting students like Jaeden is a big part of that.乌鸦传媒�

Izik-Dzurko has a long history with the Roots & Blues Festival.

乌鸦传媒淲hen I was two months old, my parents decided not to go (to the festival) because I was so little. But they could hear the music from the house, so there乌鸦传媒檚 a picture of me in a crib, with them dancing to the music in the driveway,乌鸦传媒� he says. 乌鸦传媒淚 haven乌鸦传媒檛 been to the festival in the past couple of years because I乌鸦传媒檝e been at summer music programs or things, but as a child I would always come. It was just part of my musical experience.乌鸦传媒�

Now, Izik-Dzurko is preparing for the move to New York City to start at the world乌鸦传媒檚 most prestigious school of the arts. This week he heads to Vancouver to spend three days recording performances at the Vancouver Academy of Music, and then heads to the Big Apple.

乌鸦传媒淚t is going to be strange going from living in a community of 15,000 to a city of 17 million,乌鸦传媒� he says.

While he considered schools in Toronto, Ohio and Philadelphia, Julliard won out.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 an incomparable school,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲hat tipped the balance was the generous financial support I乌鸦传媒檝e been able to put together from the school and from scholarships like this one. Plus is it a rare opportunity to be accepted into the studio of my current teacher乌鸦传媒檚 teacher. She is already calling me her musical grandson.乌鸦传媒�

Izik-Dzurko says while becoming a touring concert pianist is seen as the pinnacle of a career, he is keeping his future plans wide open.

乌鸦传媒淚 just was to live a life immersed in music. That is what would satisfy me.乌鸦传媒�

Atkins says the board is looking for donations at the festival to supplement the scholarship fund with a view to creating an endowment fund assist in providing a stable funding base to support future scholarships. Donations will be collected on site at this year乌鸦传媒檚 festival.