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Brunswick Music Festival Offers Scholarships & Financial Assistance

Brunswick Music Festival Offers

Scholarships and Financial Assistance

BRUNSWICK, ME — Music is for everyone. One of the goals of the Bowdoin International Music Festival is to bring music into the lives of as many individuals as possible. This is reflected in the Festival’s Artists of Tomorrow concerts and the Bowdoin Festival Extra series, which provide free performances and educational programs throughout southern Midcoast Maine. “We strive to make attending a concert as simple as picking a seat,” says PR and Marketing Coordinator Casey Oakes. “For little or no cost at all we are happy to treat our audience to stunning world-class chamber music. We have musical events at all hours of the day, seven days a week during our summer season.”

This mission is reflected in the Festival’s student training program as well. The Festival strives to help the best students and artist instructors’ benefit from its programs without regard to financial need. More than 60% of students receive some form of financial aid each year, including more than a dozen scholarships provided to worthy students who fit specific criteria for each award. In the last five years the Board of Trustees has added more than $1,000,000 to its endowment to help fund scholarships. In November the Festival received a grant of $100,000 from the Bingham Trust to support scholarships for Maine students. Awards from the Festival’s endowment or special grant funds are determined on the basis of merit and documented need. “It’s important that the resources of our programs are accessible to all musicians regardless of financial status,” Dan Nitsch, Director of Admissions shares. “We take great care to allocate Scholarship funds to fit the needs of all our applicants.”

The Kaplan Fellowship and Resident Assistant positions present additional opportunities for financial assistance, including for room and board. A limited number of qualified applicants will be selected for these positions.

To help support one or more student scholarships please contact Kippy Rudy at 207-373-1440 or Kippy@bowdoinfestival.org.

Kaplan Fellowship Program

Kaplan Fellows receive full tuition and fee support plus room and a food stipend for six weeks. The Kaplan Fellowship Program is a unique offering geared to mature, accomplished players at the beginning of significant careers in music. This six-week program is focused on the study and performance of solo and chamber music. Kaplan Fellows are considered “students of the Festival” rather than assigned to a single faculty studio. As such, they benefit from the full resources of the Festival and faculty. Fellows work with Kaplan Fellowship Program director to design an individualized program of lessons with faculty and chamber coaches. Fellows will have numerous opportunities to perform both solo and chamber works in Festival concerts.

Resident Assistant (RA)

The Resident Assistant position provides full housing and meal plan support for six weeks to a limited number of qualified students. Resident Assistants (RA’s) act as supervisors in the Residence Halls and Apartments. They are on call on a rotating basis to ensure that all curfew, alcohol, noise, party, and emergency procedure policies are enforced. Additionally, RA’s are required to attend concerts, hold hall meetings, organize social events and outings, and assist with participant check-in and check-out. RA’s must arrive two days early and stay for the full six weeks. RA candidates should be at least 21 years old and have a valid driver’s license.

Among the awards available are:

Annually Funded Awards:

Paul Rosen Memorial Scholarship – support for a participant in cello and/or piano
Paul J. Lynskey Piano Scholarship – support for one participant in piano
Michael Rabin Travel Fund – travel funding for one participant from abroad

Endowed Funds:

Dr. Louis Bachrach Award – support for one or more participants in strings
Hugh and Norma Phelps Award – support for one or more participants
Robert Scull Scholarship –support for two or more participants

Bingham Trust Scholarship – support for one or more students from Maine to study violin, viola, or cello

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The mission of the Bowdoin International Music Festival, which was founded in 1964, is to prepare gifted young musicians from around the world for a life in music through study with world-class artists, and to present classical music in concerts performed to the highest artistic standards. The Gamper Festival of Contemporary Music, founded in 1965, has commissioned and presented the work of emerging and established composers, including Kaija Saariaho, Kevin Puts, Luciano Berio, George Crumb, Sebastian Currier, William Bolcom, George Rochberg and many others. Over its 52­year history, the Bowdoin Festival has established itself as a vital force throughout the music world. Visit the Festival on the web at bowdoinfestival.org.