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Presser Award

General Information

The Presser Music Award is given to a student demonstrating excellence and outstanding promise for a distinguished career in the field of music.

The Presser Music Award carries a one-time stipend of up to $10,000 to the recipient.

Applications will be accepted only from returning graduate students who have demonstrated superb musical talent with an emphasis in one or more of these areas: performance, composition, musicology, music education.

The Presser Music Award is not intended to replace other financial assistance provided by the Institution to the Award recipient. It is not to be applied towards tuition, housing costs, and other expenses normally incurred in pursuit of a degree; rather, it is designed for enrichment and musical advancement, and is intended to give the recipient opportunities that are not normally provided in a conservatory setting.

Information on Applying

The applicant must submit a written statement to The Presser Foundation indicating how the Award, if granted, would be used to further his or her musical education and career. The following are illustrative examples only:

  • Commissioning and premiering a new work
  • Travel to audition with orchestras, opera companies or chamber ensembles for professional opportunities
  • Creation of an outreach program
  • Funding a performance tour

The Foundation seeks proposals that are imaginative as well as practical. The proposal should also describe how the Award will directly benefit a student’s career.

All interested students should submit the following to to the Office of Academic Affairs on or before 5:00 PM on Friday, March 1, 2013:

  • A written plan of no more than two typewritten pages
  • A detailed budget
  • One letter of recommendation from your major instructor

Recent Recipients

  • 2012-2013 – Ronaldo Rolim: to fund the commission, performance, and recording of a twenty-minute piano trio for Trio Appassionata
  • 2011-2012 – Jonathan Zwi: to fund the commission of a piece for the Atlantic Guitar Quartet to be premiered alongside visual art
  • 2010-2011 – Tracy Anne Smith: to fund the commission and recording of new works for a commercial CD
  • 2009-2010 – Douglas Buchanan: to fund a concert tour of his work for solo piano, Colonnades
  • 2008-2009 – Jolie Lin: to fund a comparative study on music education in Russia and China

Contact Information

For more details, please contact Caitlin Vincent in the Office of Academic Affairs: 410-234-4622 or cvincen6@jhmi.edu.

 

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