When you think music schools there鈥檚 one name that stands out above the rest.

Julliard.

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

Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, 18, is this year鈥檚 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.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a really great honour,鈥� says Izik-Dzurko. 鈥淭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鈥檛 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.鈥�

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

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

鈥淲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鈥檚 a picture of me in a crib, with them dancing to the music in the driveway,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 been to the festival in the past couple of years because I鈥檝e been at summer music programs or things, but as a child I would always come. It was just part of my musical experience.鈥�

Now, Izik-Dzurko is preparing for the move to New York City to start at the world鈥檚 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.

鈥淚t is going to be strange going from living in a community of 15,000 to a city of 17 million,鈥� he says.

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

鈥淚t鈥檚 an incomparable school,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat tipped the balance was the generous financial support I鈥檝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鈥檚 teacher. She is already calling me her musical grandson.鈥�

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.

鈥淚 just was to live a life immersed in music. That is what would satisfy me.鈥�

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鈥檚 festival.