Scholarship Program

Like many other orchestra’s across the world, the Dearborn Symphony outreach programs suffered during the COVID years. As a result of survey’s following the pandemic, the need in our geographic area shifted from after school, individualized instruction to during school, group instruction.

In 2024, the scholarship program was reinvented as a group clinic program using musicians from the Dearborn Symphony.

The Education Committee provided string instruction at six middle schools in Dearborn from January through May of 2024. One of the three Dearborn Symphony musicians visited each school weekly to provide small group instruction.

Over one hundred students benefited from this program. These sessions were under the direction of the school’s band teachers.

One band teacher commented, “……..hearing professional musicians perform and talk about their experiences giving small group lessons and sectionals with technique and knowledge specific to individual instruments was hugely beneficial. All three clinicians were helpful, flexible, and fun to work with.”

The board of directors looks forward to continuing this program for years to come.

 

In November, 2019, thirteen young musicians in the Dearborn and Dearborn Heights area received awards totaling $5,300 at the Symphony’s second concert of the season. Scholarship awards range from $300 to $500 and will be used for private musical instruction during the 2019-20 academic year.  The winners are pictured in a photograph on this page. Generous contributions from The Frank & Mary Padzieski Trust, the Dearborn Orchestral Society Endowment Fund, the Friends of the Dearborn Symphony, Dearborn Heights Rotary, Fairlane Sunrise Rotary, Kiwanis Club of Dearborn, Kiwanis Dearborn Outer Drive, the Cherry Hill Consort, the Exchange Club, the American Association of University Women Dearborn Branch, and individual contributions from Robert & Marge Bryer, Ms. Carolyn Carr, William & Janet Leslie and Dr. Donovan & Anne Bakalyar have made these scholarships possible. 

2019 Scholarship Winners

Andrea Aguirre, violin, grade 11
LuisMario Aguirre, violin, grade 9
Selene Beydoun, violin, grade 9
Kyla Heaton, flute, grade 11
Nora Heaton, violin, grade 12
Natalie Jakubowicz, violin, grade 10
Kaylyn LeVasseur, violin, grade 11
Kathryn Pegouske, violin, grade 10
Jonathan Sadler, trumpet, grade 12
Olivia Sherman, violin, grade 11
Ketzel Skazalski, flute, grade 12
Rachael Voss, flute, grade 12
Glen Warren, flute, grade 10

 

Young instrumentalists entering grades 8-12 from Dearborn and Dearborn Heights are fortunate, once again, to benefit from the generosity of area service clubs and individuals who place a high value on private music instruction. Outstanding musicians are receiving scholarship awards ranging from $250 to $500 for the 2013-14 school year.

Each year, The Dearborn Symphony offers scholarships to deserving students who will be entering grades 8-12 for the upcoming school year. Auditions are held in May for the following year. Scholarship applicants must be students in a public or private Dearborn or Dearborn Heights school or home-schooled. Performers on all standard orchestral instruments, with the exception of piano, are eligible to participate. The scholarship winners are honored and given their awards at a Dearborn Symphony concert in the fall. Several generous service clubs, corporations, private foundations and individuals have contributed funds to allow us to award several thousand dollars of awards each year.

Scholarship competition criteria include:

  1. First ratings at the Michigan School Solo and Ensemble Festival
  2. A worthy solo audition on a symphonic instrument
  3. Recommendations from private music instructors
  4. Being a student in a Dearborn or Dearborn Heights public, private or home school.

Several musicians of the Dearborn Symphony serve as judges of the competition.

Click here for scholarship application form and instructions.

Program Sponsors

Generous contributions from local service clubs and individuals have resulted in over $8,500 in instructional scholarships, ranging from $150 to $500, being awarded to 24 instrumental students for the 2016-17 season. Our scholarship donors include the Frank & Mary Padzieski Trust of the Dearborn Orchestral Society Endowment Fund (DOSEF), Kiwanis Club of Dearborn, Kiwanis Club of Dearborn Outer Drive, Exchange Club of Dearborn, Fairlane Sunrise Rotary Club, American Association of University Women – Dearborn Chapter and Friends of the Dearborn Symphony as well as individual contributions from Mr. & Mrs. Robert Bryer, Mr. & Mrs. William Leslie and Dr. & Mrs. Donovan Bakalyar. These outstanding young musicians, who are either attending school or being homeschooled in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, are pictured here in a photograph taken by Swearingen Portraits of Northville.

Additionally, the Committee conducts an annual Youth Artists Solo Competition each spring. The winners are showcased in the final concert of the Dearborn Symphony season. The prizes for the winners are provided by generous contributions from the Anina & Ben Bachrach and Frank & Mary Padzieski Trusts of the DOSEF. The competition is open to eligible applicants from the five-county metropolitan Detroit area.

Additional Sponsors Welcome

If you would like to donate to this important program,




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