Youth music scholarship competition moves up

La Sierra University has moved up the date of its music scholarship competition and application deadline. The Promising Young Artist Festival and Competition will be held May 18 with an application deadline of May 8.

The scholarship event brings the region's musically gifted high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to compete for a total of $16,000 in scholarship prizes toward tuition at La Sierra University.

The event will begin at 2 p.m. with 15 minute competitive auditions from which winners will be chosen for a first place $10,000 scholarship, a second place $5,000 scholarship and a third place $1,000 scholarship to attend La Sierra. Cash prizes of $500, $350, and $150 will also be given out respectively for first, second, and third place winners. In addition, the first place winner will have an opportunity to perform his or her winning piece during a university concert, and all festival participants will receive a voucher for a free lesson at a later date with a music faculty member.

The scholarship competition is open to high school juniors and seniors or equivalent home school students. Juniors are eligible for the competition's third place prize and will qualify to compete for first and second prizes during their senior high school year.

La Sierra's enrollment services and music departments are funding the scholarship program, one of the largest offered by the university.

La Sierra University is a Seventh-day Adventist institution that attracts many students from regional Adventist academies. The scholarship program is the brainchild of music department Chair Elvin Rodriguez and academy music teachers who also serve as adjunct instructors at La Sierra. The competition is also being offered to public school students and is intended to serve as a vehicle for attracting talented local youth.

Most students who are serious musicians have already competed many times before graduating from high school, and for such individuals “the notion of competing for a prize is not a novelty, but rather an expectation,” Rodriguez said. “Offering something like this is appealing to the students because it's another opportunity to refine and test their hard work.” Parents are also excited when their child has the opportunity to earn college scholarship, he continued. “It validates the investment they have made.”

The judging panel for the May 18 competition will include music department faculty. A dinner will be held at 5:30 p.m. followed by an awards ceremony and a performance by one of the music department's chamber ensembles.

By May 8 students must submit an application, a complete repertoire list including titles and movements, an original plus three copies of his or her competition piece, a recommendation letter from his or her music instructor, and a $50 registration fee. Competitors must also bring along their accompanist for the scholarship audition, which may not exceed 15 minutes.

Additional information is also available at 951-785-2036 or by email at music@lasierra.edu.

PR Contact: Larry Becker

Executive Director of University Relations

La Sierra University

Riverside, California

951.785.2460 (voice)