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Kenan Music Scholars Program

by Stephan Altmueller — last modified 2009-05-07 14:58

The Music Department of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers its innovative Kenan Music Scholars Program, supported by a generous donation from the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust. Its first four students entered UNC in Fall 2007.

Kenan Music Scholars receive a full scholarship for four years covering tuition, student fees, room and board, and other expenses (currently $13,036 for in-state students); plus additional support for summer research and similar activities. They also benefit from a coherent program of special activities uniting work on the concert platform and in the classroom with faculty in the Music Department and distinguished visiting artists.

Scholars are selected on the basis of an established record of excellence in practice of music (performance, composition, etc.), significant academic strengths, and a strong commitment to majoring in Music at UNC-CH. There will usually be four Scholars per entering class, with sixteen in the department in any given year.

Interested students (in-state and out-of-state) should ensure that their application to the University is submitted by January 15, 2009 (for further details, visit Undergraduate Admissions) and must be admitted to the University in the normal way. Applicants should also visit the rest of the Music Department website and follow the links for prospective undergraduate students to submit a scholarship audition request by January 1, 2009. Following the general auditions held in January and February, candidates identified for the Program will be invited back for a final round of auditions in early March, 2009. All music scholarship applicants will automatically be considered for the Program.

Further information can be obtained from Jeffrey Fuchs (jfuchs@email.unc.edu). This is an exciting new development marking a renaissance in the arts and Music at Carolina, and we hope that as many qualified students as possible will be encouraged to apply.

Our Kenan Music Scholars

	Cynthia Burton, violinist, is from Banner Elk, NC and graduated from Wautauga High School. While in high school, she studied violin with Nancy Bargerstock and played in the orchestra at Appalachian State University. She also attended North Carolina Governor’s School West in 2005 and traveled to Austria and the Czech Republic on a Study Abroad program. Cynthia is a National Merit Finalist and a member of the National Honors Society. She is an active leader and volunteer in area youth and church activities.
	Ryan Dickey is from Southlake, Texas (in the Dallas metroplex), where he graduated from Carroll High School. He served as Drum Major in the band, was an officer on the Student Council and was named Southlake Youth of the Year. He was selected for the Texas Allstate Band; placed in the 2008 Falcone International Tuba/Euphonium Competition; won Outstanding Piano Soloist in the 2008 Texas State Piano Competition; and was named Outstanding Jazz Soloist at several important Texas jazz festivals. He has a passionate interest in the sciences and is active in community service projects. His speech for Veteran’s Day at his school in 2006 came to the notice of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who wrote to Ryan thanking him for his insights.
	Michael Fatum attends New Trier High School in Winnetka, Ill. He performs with the Midwest Young Artists (MYA) Jazz Combos and has toured China, Spain, Portugal and South Korea with various MYA music groups. He attended the Eastman School of Music Summer Jazz Camp and has taken master classes at Northwestern University. He has won outstanding jazz musician, trumpet and wind section awards. He is an honor roll student and writes for his national award-winning high school newspaper.
	Daniel Hammond, horn player, is from Raleigh, NC, where he graduated from Wakefield High School and was selected as outstanding senior, served as Drum Major, Band President, and Webmaster. In 2006, he was selected to be concerto soloist with the Triangle Youth Philharmonic and principal horn with the Allstate Honor Band. He attended the Florida State Honors Program for Winds and was a winner in the Glaxo Smith Kline Competition as a sophomore. Daniel’s interests also extend to science and technology; he has won a Xerox Award for Innovation and another in Environmental Science. He is also active in church activities.
	Jessica Kunttu, bassoonist, is from Cary, NC, but spent her last two years of high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts. She attended the North Carolina Governor’s School West, played in the Triangle Youth Philharmonic, and was selected for the North Carolina Allstate Honors Orchestra. In addition, she has served as peer tutor and residence hall peer leader at NCSA. She has a lively interest in history and the sciences, and plans to double-major in Music and Physics.
	Ning Lee is from Singapore where she completed her high-school education at Raffles Junior College and was concertmaster of the Singapore Youth Orchestra, with which she has performed in Europe. She has gained diplomas in violin from Trinity College of Music and the Royal Schools of Music (London), as well as winning certificates in the Asian Youth Music Competition. Ning also plays piano and numerous sports, and has completed an intense high school curriculum in physics. She has also volunteered for the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Singapore.
	Caroline Mason attends Portsmouth Abbey School in Portsmouth, R.I., on an academic scholarship. The soprano began her study in classical voice at the age of 12. She is a member of the Rhode Island Allstate Chorus, the Junior Providence Singers and has won awards in music, public speaking, English and poetry recitation. She has had leading roles in her school’s musical productions. In 2004, she received a full scholarship to study at the Washington National Opera Program for Young Singers. She also attended the N.C. Governor’s School East in 2006.
	Aaron Robinson attends Wakefield High School in Wake Forest, where he won the Outstanding Senior Award and is on the honor roll. He is a member of the Triangle Youth Philharmonic in Raleigh, the N.C. Allstate Honors Orchestra and Band, the Tri-M Music Honors Society and the National Honor Society. He is brass captain of his high school marching band. He attended the N.C. Governor’s School West in 2006 and has won many competitions as a tuba player, pianist and singer.
	Lauren Schultes, soprano, is from Grosse Pointe, Michigan where she graduated from high school with high honors. She has studied musicianship in the University of Michigan Youth Program, and was a winner in their regional voice competition, representing Michigan at finals in San Francisco during May 2007. She also traveled to the University of Nebraska representing Michigan at the 2007 International Thespian Festival. In addition, she has received awards for her achievements in French, Dance, and Distributive Education. Lauren has also been active in community service, tutoring middle-school students and singing for senior citizens.
	Crystal Wu is from Birmingham, Alabama where she attended the Alabama School of Fine Arts. Winner of numerous competitions and awards from the Music Teachers National Association and the Federation of Music Clubs, she also plays violin and has studied classical ballet. A fine academic student as well, she has completed AP credits in US History and Art History. Active in her community, she has done volunteer work for children with disabilities.
	Sidney Zaleski is from Ellicott City, Maryland, where he was home-schooled and has taken some classes at the University of Maryland/Baltimore. He also studied music in the Preparatory Division of the Peabody Conservatory, where he won competitions and presented several recitals. In 2006 he was a finalist in the New York Piano Competition, and in 2007 studied at the Amalfi Coast Music Festival in Italy. Sidney also plays the violin and has received high scores in exams administered by the American Chemical Society. He has undertaken voluntary service by way of numerous performances at Elderhostels and senior centers.
	Qiudi Zhang attends the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. She received a full scholarship to the 2007 Kennedy Center National Symphony Orchestra’s Summer Music Institute. The institute accepts only one student from each state by competitive audition. She also won the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Symphony Competition and the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artists Award where she was profiled on “From the Top,” a weekly Houston radio series that showcases the nation’s most exceptional pre-college classical musicians. She has also won awards in French and art.