Three local-area high school students took top prizes in Murrieta Rotary Club’s annual music contest held on Tuesday evening, Feb. 12, at the Salvation Army Murrieta Community Center.  Winners in the contest will move to Rotary District competitions this spring.

Eiley Lopez, a junior at Vista Murrieta High School, took first place playing Oboe Concerto in F by Antonio Rosetti on her oboe.  Her music teacher is Kirk Green.  First prize earned her $400.

Second place went to Gabriella Pryce, a Murrieta Mesa High School junior, on the piano and playing Impromptu in Ab Major by Franz Schubert. Her music teacher is YiYi Ku.   Gabriella earned $250 for her second place accomplishment.

Francis Saspa, a junior at Temecula Preparatory School, took third place playing Prelude in G Minor by Sergei Rachmaninoff on the piano. His music teacher is YiYi Ku. Third place awarded him $100.

“We had an amazing group of 11 students competing, and the results were very close,” said Armando Martinez, Chair of the music contest.  “We are very thankful for the work the judges put into this.  We are confident that our students advancing to the District contests will do very well.”

Judges for the Murrieta Rotary Club contest were Anne Agadjanian, a private music teacher in Murrieta area; Dr. Gene Moon, Director of Orchestral Studies at California Baptist University; Lavinia Tikasingh, teacher at Murrieta Valley Unified School District; and Timothy Tikasingh, teacher at Murrieta Valley Unified School District.