Local Pianist Presented as Young Artist of the Year

LOMA LINDA>> The Music Teachers’ Association of California presented Bonnie Blue Zuniga, a 17-year-old pianist, as the 2016 Young Artist of the Year during a ceremony and concert July 24 at the Linda Hall in Campus Hill Church. Zuniga is a senior in the Brigham Young University Independent High School Study Program and is a gold medalist winner from the National Piano Guild, as well as from the American College of Musicians. With numerous accolades to show for, Zuniga has won in the Southern California Bach Festival, Inland Empire Piano Festival, Sacred Music Piano Festival and the Top Student Piano Showcase. As the 10th child out of 12, she has also been an active member of the National Fraternity of Student Musicians since 2006. She is a California Certificate of Merit Music Honors student and completed her 2016 Advance Level Ten with a score of 91 percent. Aside from her musical accomplishments, Zuniga has specialized in children’s artwork and custom orders as the founder and creator of Cagney and Friends, an online art boutique. She has sold her original creations to customers worldwide during the last four years. Her artwork can be found at cagneyandfriends.esy.com Since the age of 6, Zuniga has worked under the direction and guidance of Dr. Lily Diehl, the director of Lily Diehl Music Studio and 2015 Citizen of the Year presented by the Loma Linda Chamber of Commerce. "I am so ecstatically proud of Bonnie," Diehl said. "She has always been a very dependable student, always well-prepared and she always met my expectations. It was a joy to teach her and see how she developed into a beautiful young artist. It's truly a joy." Diehl has taught piano instruction for more than 40 years and has taught many Zuniga family members over the last 20 years. The Zuniga family also holds the record of having three Young Artist winners with Caitlyn Zuniga in 2009, David Zuniga in 2012 and now Bonnie in 2016. Diehl has made numerous achievements as singer and pianist. She had lead singing roles in the “The Sound of Music” in 1980 and performed in front of more than 50,000 people in Europe and China. She has also served as a state officer and branch president of the Music Teachers Association of California and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Inland Empire Symphony Orchestra. For more information about the Lily Diehl Music Studio, located at 11538 Anderson St. in Loma Linda, CA 92354, call 909.796.7464.