The Gena Branscombe Project has announced their 2022
scholarship winners. We congratulate
these talented musicians and wish them all the best as they move forward with
their careers.
The Gena Branscombe Project has awarded its 2022 Composer scholarship to Alexandra Bellhaven.
In addition to
being a composer, Alexandra is a musical theater writer, pianist, and conductor
with a passion for the art of telling stories. She is a current student at
Berklee College of Music in Boston where she studies Film Scoring and
Composition with minors in Musical Theater writing and conducting.
Alexandra’s
niche is telling the hidden stories that affect a large population of people;
the stories of the silent majority. Whether that is the stories of addiction,
or the transformation of love in all forms, Ally seeks out art that generates
the feeling of community in a unique way. When not storytelling, you can find
Ally training for the Chicago 2022 marathon,
Congratulations to Jacquelyn Johnson, winner of The Gena Branscombe Project 2022 scholarship in Arts Administration.
Jackie’s love of music began when she her father encouraged
her to auditioned for the Uniting Voices
Chicago (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir). She performed with the choir throughout the
city, Orchestra Hall and at Nelson Mandela’s home in South Africa. She is an alum of the group, later joining the
organization as Program Assistant, Program Associate, Program Manager and
became Director of Citywide Programs.
Presently Jackie is working on her Bachelor of Arts in
Interdisciplinary Studies; Multi Cultural Arts Administration at the University
of Massachusetts- Amherst, University Without Walls. One of her goals in pursuing this specific
degree is her ability to bring academic expertise and experience to her work at
Chicago Children’s Choir.
Valery has served as assistant conductor of the Baltimore
Symphony Youth Orchestra, held positions as cover conductor for the Oregon and
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. She
received her Master of Music degree under the mentorship of Marin Alsop at the
Peabody Conservatory.
Her upcoming 2022-2023 engagements include cover conducting for the St. Louis
Symphony Orchestra and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.
Valery won 2nd place at the Denver Philharmonic
International Conducting Competition and was selected to participate in the
Domaine-Forget Conducting Academy with Yannick Nézet- Séguin and Branwell
Toveye.
Known for her inclusivity in programming she formed concerts
that celebrated the Hispanic culture of her community and advocated the new
music of living composers that must be heard in our concert halls.
The Gena Branscombe Project will begin accepting applications for the 2023 scholarships on March 8, 2023!
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