Scholarships
Don’t be shy, apply!
Are you in need of money for music lessons or a new instrument? Maybe summer music camp? InConcert Sierra can help you live your dream!
Autumn Youth Scholarship Fund – Grades 4th through 8th
- Two awards of $500 each are available.
- Applications are due by October 30, 2012
- Scholarships will be awarded at the November Third-Sunday Season concert
Ardis Mengers founded The Autumn Youth Scholarship fund in memory of her husband Paul Mengers. As a tribute and in memory of Ardis, the fund has been renamed the Mengers Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Spring Teen Scholarship award – grades 9th through 12th
- One award of $1000 is available.
- Application must be postmarked no later than Friday, March 30, 2012
- Scholarship will be awarded at the April Third-Sunday Season concert
How do I apply for a scholarship?
Download your Spring Teen Scholarship application (due Friday, March 30, 2012) click here
Download your Autumn Youth Scholarship application after Sunday, June 16, 2012)
The student needs to:
- Have studied an instrument for at least three years.
- Reside in or attend school in Nevada County
- Write a short paragraph or two explaining why they should be chosen and how the award would be used.
Sound easy? It is!
Decisions by the InConcert Scholarship committee are made based on financial need, teacher recommendation and the student’s desire to learn music.
Hear what a scholarship recipient has to say:
Dear Selection Committee -
I am writing to say thank you so much for the generous scholarship. This money to buy a new fiddle is the path to my musical career. The $500 is a real boost to my “fiddle fund”! I am currently looking for a fiddle to buy and I plan on spending $1000-$2000; a huge chunk of it came from you! Thank you!
I am enclosing a copy of the Union newspaper article that was written about the scholarship gift. I have received many congratulations from the article.
Sincerest thanks,
Emilie Roberts Brockway (10/09)
Our 2011 Spring Teen Award Winner
We are proud to give our $1000 Spring Teen 2010 Award to Morgen Harvey
InConcert Sierra is proud to award its Spring Teen Scholarship to 16-year-old pianist Morgen Harvey. Morgen is completing her junior year at Nevada Union High School and has studied piano privately for 12 years.
Morgen states “I would like my musical abilities to continue to grow so that I may share them with the world. In order to do this I feel that I need to attend music camps and workshops and to continue my private lessons.” She has benefited from three masterclasses from the internationally renowned pianist Brian Ganz, who has played for us at a Third-Sunday Season concert in the past. Besides helping with the essential costs of educational experiences and private lessons, the scholarship award will enable Morgen to do some repairs and maintenance on her piano. “This scholarship would help my talent to exceed tremendous levels and help me master my musical skills.”
“As Morgen’s teacher for the past 7 years, I have had the pleasure to watch Morgen grow in her understanding of harmony and form that is unusual, “says her piano teacher Larisa Smirnova of Oregon House. “She knows how to apply herself no matter what. Morgen not only learns the music but wants to learn the emotional element…Morgen’s hands and fingers take the math of music and turn it into poetry.”
This summer Morgen has been invited by Brian Ganz to participate in MusicFest at St. Mary’s College in Maryland, a wonderful opportunity for her. “I plan to attend a performing arts school or music conservatory after high school. I would like to pursue classical piano as far as possible and to play professionally,” says Morgen of her musical goals.
We hope all of Morgen’s dreams come true and are especially pleased to help her on her way. The Spring Teen Scholarship is a $1000 award, which is funded in part by specified donations to the scholarship fund (thank you Beverly Kahn for your contribution of $500 this season), and cookies donations received during intermission.
Our 2010 Spring Teen Award winners
We are proud to give our $1000 2010 Spring Teen Award to Sage Po
Harpist Sage Po is in grade 11 at Forest Charter School and has been playing the harp for eight years. “Sage has technical ability beyond what is considered ‘entering’ college level,” says her teacher, Laura Porter, “Sage has always excelled musically. Her instincts are mature and reflect an ability that is artistically of the highest order.”
Sage’s long-term goal is to become a harp teacher, music educator and concert artist.
This young harpist has performed in the Sierra Master Chorale spring concert ensemble and also participated in the March master-class with harpist Bridget Kibbey.
Sage has been accepted to attend the Bowdein International Music Festival in Maine this summer for a 3-week intensive summer study in solo and chamber music. “At the program, I will have the opportunity to collaborate with other advanced students, attend master classes and concerts by the prestigious faculty, receive private lessons from June Han (harp professor at Columbia, Yale, and Julliard), and even perform at the festival!” Sage says.
This is an extraordinary opportunity and we’re pleased to extend a hand in affording this experience.
$500 Honorable Mention to Summer McCall
This year we had two exceptionally qualified scholarship applicants. It’s been a good season for “cookie” donations (thank you!), which helps to generate scholarship funds, so we are awarding an honorable mention to cellist Summer McCall, a junior at Truckee High School.
Summer has studied cello for five years and states, “for the past two years my mom, a private teacher here in Truckee, has been driving me 70 miles one way to study with my current teacher David Eby, in Nevada City.” Summer has been accepted to the Berklee School of Music’s 2010 five-week program in Boston, of which only 900 students throughout the country were accepted.
Her teacher David Eby says “Summer is very passionate and driven in her studies. Her energetic, enthusiastic approach to playing makes her simply a joy to work with.”
