The Aiken Music Teachers Association sponsored its annual festival on March 28 at Millbrook Baptist Church.
A total of 102 students participated in more than 300 events, including solo, duet, American folk and patriotic, theory and hymn playing.
The young musicians were judged on stage presence, interpretation, accuracy, technique and artistry, and were given a superior, excellent, very good or good rating.
Each rating has a point value that can be accrued to acquire gold cups. A performer who receives a superior rating in the solo category must move up to another level of difficulty the next year.
Any student who received a superior in three events (one of which must be solo) was invited to play in an Honors Concert the next day at Grace Covenant Church of God. They were recognized in a special medal ceremony after the concert.
The Aiken Music Teachers Association Music Scholarship in memory of Ruth Howard was presented to the young musician who gave the best performance in the advanced solo category.
This year's winner was Stewart Mast.
Mast is from Wagener and studies under Elizabeth Lindroth. His winning piano selection was "Arabesque" by Claude Debussy.
Judges for the event were Kathleen Nungesser, May Lauren Brinkman and Julia Moore.