Two talented singers and theatrical performs from Sterling High School are the recipients of this year’s Milligan Music Award. Madison Trahern was named the first place winner and Sierra Adolf was chosen as runner-up.
The scholarship award was presented at SHS Friday afternoon following the release of a virtual First Friday @ First Presbyterian concert featuring performances by the winners and other Orpheus Music Club Young Artists.
Presented to an outstanding senior who plans to continue in music, the Milligan Music Award was established by the Orpheus Music Club in honor of Mrs. Johnnie Milligan (1876-1960), who taught piano in Sterling from about 1918 to 1958.
She came to Sterling with her husband, the Rev. Martin Gatewood Milligan (1878-1924), who pastured First Presbyterian Church from 1915 to 1920. The present building was constructed during his tenure.
In 1956, Johnnie Milligan wrote to the University of Colorado School of Music to ask if they had a piano major who would come to Sterling to take over her piano studio, as she was planning on retiring. The student who responded was Mr. Eugene Evans, an Ohio native, who not only came to teach Mrs. Milligan’s students, but who also bought her grand piano, which can be seen in her photo downstairs in Milligan Hall. The piano still resides in Mr. Evans’ studio, where he taught continuously for 58 years before passing away Aug. 1, 2015.
In Orpheus Club archives the earliest reference to the Milligan Award is 1954.
The award is given once a year to a deserving high school senior who plans to continue in music. The Orpheus Club is pleased that several of the past winners have returned to Sterling to teach music, both in public schools and privately.
Since 2010, the club has been honored to have Mrs. Milligan’s granddaughters with them to present the award. Several of them sent greetings and best wishes to the students that performed Friday. They also thanked the club for keeping the memory of their grandmother alive.
Presenting the award this year were Orpheus Club members Iris Lambert and Emily Singer.
Trahern, the daughter of Tammy and Russ Trahern and student of Annette Lambrecht and Michelle White, began performing with Sterling Miracle Players in third grade and learned that she loved to sing. She has performed with them continuously since then.
She has also participated in SHS theater productions for several years and will play the part of Belle in the upcoming production of “Beauty and the Beast.” Plus, she has been a participant and mentor with the RE-1 Valley Children’s Chorale for two years, has sung in Master Chorale, has been singing with Windsong Chorus for six years, and performed in concert choir and jazz choir throughout high school.
Trahern plans to get an associate degree in early childhood education then major in musical theater. She wants to go into performance and eventually teach kids musical theater and mathematics.
Adolf, the daughter of Karent Tygart, granddaughter of Mary Jo Tygart and student of Annette Lambrecht, Shauna Close and Risa Lamorie, played the clarinet in band for several years and performed in SHS musicals through high school. She will play Mrs. Potts in the upcoming “Beauty and the Beast.” She also participated in concert choir and jazz choir through high school, has sung with Windsong Chorus and performed with the Sterling Miracle Players.
Adolf plans to attend Northeastern Junior College to pursue a degree in criminology with a minor in music.
If you would like to help fund future Milligan Awards, you can mail your donation to First Presbyterian Church, 130 S. 4th St., Sterling CO 80751 and designate Milligan Award.
“We appreciate your support of these young musicians,” the club said.
Other performers in the First Friday concert included soprano Colleen Wright, an SHS junior; soprano Rebecca Hester, an SHS senior; pianist Aaron Lenox, a SHS senior; soprano Cassidy Wright, a SHS junior; guitarist and alto Mallory Kaiser, a SHS senior; and alto Lexie Lekawa, a SHS senior.
