2024 Portland Rossini Club Scholarship Competitions

OVERVIEW

The Portland Rossini Club holds a biennial scholarship competition for Maine high school juniors and older to assist them in funding their higher education in music. Funds are raised through concert ticket sales, member dues, investments, and predominantly from your generous donations. Please help by donating to this fund!

With the cost of a college education exponentially increasing, the Portland Rossini Club feels it is important to award scholarships to assist Maine students in their pursuit of higher education in music. The scholarship competition, with awards in voice, piano, and other instruments, is typically held every other year in June in Portland, Maine. A new award has been added for 2024 for a junior or senior who is not yet college bound, but shows great promise In a musical career.

To make a real difference in the lives of music students from Maine, please help these budding musicians pursue their dreams by donating to our scholarship fund.

 

 

THE SCHOLARSHIPS

The Rossini Club’s annual scholarship competition for music students includes the following categories:

  • Emily K. Rand Instrumental Scholarship
    The Emily K. Rand Instrumental Scholarship was established in 1932 in memory of the Portland Rossini Club’s third president, a vocalist, who presided in a distinguished manner for 25 years.
  • Lucia A. Wright Piano Scholarship
    The Lucia A. Wright Piano Scholarship was established in 2001 as a bequest of pianist Lucia A. Wright, a member in good standing for 55 years.
  • Barbara C. Littlefield Vocal Scholarship
    The Barbara C. Littlefield Vocal Scholarship was created in memory of the Club’s longtime treasurer, vocalist Barbara Littlefield.
  • Marie Thomas Award
    The Marie Thomas Award was established in 2023 as a bequest of a benefactor and advocate of the arts in the Greater Portland area. It is for a Maine junior or senior high school student who shows outstanding music promise.

 

 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

These scholarship competitions are open to all residents of the State of Maine.

Applicants must be high school juniors or older and be planning further musical study in the fall of 2024 at any accredited music school, college, or university.

Juniors and Seniors in high school are eligible for the Marie Thomas Award.

Previous first place winners of the Rand, Wright, or Littlefield scholarships may not apply.

 

 

WHAT IS EXPECTED AT THE AUDITION?

  • Applicants in each competition must perform at least two compositions or movements representing two different periods as follows: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and/or 20th/21st Century. Candidates studying other than classical music must perform one classical selection. A repertoire sheet, which lists each work and/or movement plus composers’ dates must be submitted. Please indicate the publisher and edition of each selection.
  • The total performance should be at least ten minutes and is not to exceed fifteen minutes.
  • Applicants must provide their own accompanists. The Rossini Club Scholarship Committee will furnish a list of suggestions for local accompanists, who must be available to play from 8:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 1. Electronic accompaniment is permitted under certain circumstances.
  • VOCALISTS MUST PERFORM ENTIRELY BY MEMORY.
  • PIANISTS AND INSTRUMENTALISTS MUST PERFORM AT LEAST ONE SELECTION FROM MEMORY.
  • One published edition of the music must be provided for the panel of 3 judges

All competitions will take place on Saturday, June 1, 2024 beginning at 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at St. Luke’s Cathedral, 143 State Street, Portland ME 04101.

 

 

APPLICATION RULES

  • These scholarship competitions are open to all residents of the State of Maine.
  • Applicants must be above the age of 17 who are planning further musical study in the Fall of 2024 at any accredited music school, college, or university.
  • Previous first place winners of the scholarships may not apply.
  • Applicants in each competition must perform at least two compositions representing two different periods as follows: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and/or 20th/21st Century.
  • The total performance should be at least ten minutes and is not to exceed fifteen minutes.
  • Applicants must provide their own accompanists.
  • Vocalists must perform entirely from memory; Pianists and Instrumentalists must perform at least one selection from memory.
  • One published edition of the music must be provided for the panel of judges.

 

 

SCHEDULE

The complete application packet, including teacher affidavit, and program selections, plus $30 non-refundable entry fee (check payable to Portland Rossini Club) must be postmarked by May 1, 2024.

Mail to Scholarship Chair at 27 Nicholas Ct., Portland ME 04103.

The packet can be scanned and submitted to Scholarship Chair’s Email by the deadline (the original documents must be supplied on the day of the competition along with the $30 entry fee.)

Applicants will be ineligible to compete if the application packet is incomplete.

Special scheduling requests must be submitted in writing and will be honored if possible. Contestants will be notified of their performance time on or before May 20, 2024.

A total of $4000 will be available for first and second prizes in each of the first three competitions.

$2000 will be available for the Marie Thomas Award which will be awarded separately from the other three scholarships.

The judges reserve the right to distribute the prize money as they see fit, or not award a prize.

Please bring on audition day:

  • Entry fee if it hasn’t been paid
  • One published copy of your repertoire
  • A short bio and a link to a head shot

 

 

APPLICATION FORM

The 2024 PRC Scholarship Application PDF is downloadable here.

More information about the scholarship is located on the Scholarship Description PDF here.

 

 

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Contact Scholarship Chair: Susanna Adams
Contact Phone, Texting Preferred: (207)318-7465
Email: saviolabow@maine.rr.com

PAST WINNERS

View our Past Scholarship Winners can be found here.

DONATE TO THE SCHOLARSHIP

If you would like to donate to the Scholarship Fund, thank you so much. Click here to Donate.