Department of Music | Handbook: Awards

Department Handbook: Music

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Music Awards

Entrance Awards
Fall Awards
Spring Awards

Entrance Awards

Talent Awards
Three awards, in the form of tuition credits, are made each year to entering students who show exceptional musical ability during the audition process, and who present a high school average of 75% or better. Candidates are selected in the Spring with a tuition credit applied to the following Fall/Winter session.

Fall Awards

Sterling Beckwith Award
The Sterling Beckwith Award, established by the Music Department=s founding Chair, is open to 2nd and 3rd year Music majors who demonstrate exceptional promise and ability in performance, superior musicianship and a breadth of cultural and academic interests. Preference is given to students of voice. Eligibility/selection criteria include financial need, Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status and Ontario residency.
Fine Arts Bursaries
A number of bursaries are available to full-time Fine Arts students in any year of study who demonstrate financial need and sound academic standing.
Harvey-Marsden Music Award
One award is given annually to a 2nd, 3rd or 4th year music major preferably within the jazz program, who demonstrates financial need and sound academic standing.
Kondor Fine Arts Scholarship
One award is given annually in each Fine Arts program. The award is given to a 3rd or 4th year student majoring in Fine Arts in recognition of creative and scholarly achievement.
Louise Bennett-Coverley Award
This award is given to 2nd or 3rd Music majors who demonstrate financial need and exceptional promise/achievement in World Music studies.
Norman Stifani Memorial Scholarship
This award is given annually to a music major who demonstrates financial need and sound academic standing.
Peggie Sampson Bursary
Bursaries are available to full-time and part-time students in Music who are in financial need.
Spedding Memorial Award in Music
This award is given annually to a 4th year Music major in recognition of academic and/or artistic excellence in music. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents as well as Ontario residents as defined by OSAP and in financial need.

Spring Awards

Dean's Prizes for Excellence
Two awards are given annually in each Fine Arts program, one for scholarly work and one for creative work. The prizes are awarded on the basis of completed projects (e.g. a recital, composition, historical or theoretical essay) which reflect excellence by criteria established in individual departments.
Thomas W. Doherty Prize in Piano
This award is given annually for outstanding performance of a contemporary work for piano.
Ella Fitzgerald Award for Jazz Performance
This award is given annually to a 3rd or 4th year Music student concentrating in jazz studies. Selection/eligibility criteria include artistic excellence and financial need. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents as well as Ontario residents as defined by OSAP.
Karabekos Award
This award is given to an undergraduate or graduate student who demonstrates academic/artistic excellence and promise. Selection/eligibility criteria include undertaking ethnomusicological field research in non-North American based music and demonstrated prowess in composition incorporating elements outside Western Art music tradition or unusual performance ability in a variety of musical styles including non-western.
Alan Lessem Memorial Award
This award is made to a graduating student in recognition of an outstanding piece of scholarly written work in an upper level course in Music.
Elmes-Bedford Prize For Jazz Performance
This award is given to a 1st or 2nd year Music student in jazz performance. The recipient must show outstanding talent and/or promise based on departmental nominations.
Marion Lower Prizes in Composition
Two awards are given to Music students in any year of study --one for classical contemporary composition, and one in jazz composition.
Olive Lower Prize in Jazz Piano
This award is given to an outstanding jazz piano student based on departmental nominations.
Patricia and Robert Martin Award
The Patricia and Robert Martin Award is given to a 3rd or 4th year student in the classical performance stream in the Department of Music in recognition of outstanding achievement in an adjudicated performance. Eligibility criteria include sound academic standing, financial need, Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status, and Ontario residency.
Douglas Menzie Phillips Jazz Scholarship
This award is given annually to a 2nd or 3rd year Music major in recognition of outstanding achievement in instrumental performance in a jazz workshop.
Orpheus Award
Two awards are given each year for outstanding achievement in an adjudicated vocal performance to Music majors in the classical performance stream who are enrolled in at least two vocal courses and who demonstrate sound academic standing. Eligibility criteria include financial need, Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status and Ontario residency.
Oscar Peterson Bursaries
Bursaries are available to students demonstrating financial need and who are pursuing, or intend to pursue, jazz studies at York University. Preference will be given to students enrolled full-time.
Oscar Peterson Scholarships
This award is given to an outstanding student(s) enrolled in a third year jazz workshop who demonstrates sound academic standing.
Nancy Scoular Underhill Piano Award
The Nancy Scoular Underhill Piano Award is given in recognition of exceptional promise and ability in classical piano performance to a second-year Music major. Preference will be given to female students. Eligibility criteria include financial need, Canadian citizenship or landed immigrant status, and Ontario residency.
Saint Thyagaraja Music Awards
Two Saint Thyagaraja Music Awards are presented annually in recognition of artistic and scholarly achievement in Indian classical music studies. One award is given for demonstrated artistic excellence to a student enrolled in performance studies (vocal/instrumental) of Indian classical music. The other award recognizes top standing in the academic study of Indian classical music. Applicants must be undergraduate Music majors pursuing full-time studies. Selection/eligibility criteria also include financial need, Canadian citizenship or landed eligibility criteria also includes financial need, Canadian citizenship or landed immigrant status, and Ontario residency as defined by OSAP.
Sorbara Award in Music
This award recognizes outstanding creative achievement in music in the areas of composition, improvisation or sound design. Third year music majors who are pursuing studies full-time and who will be proceeding into their fourth year of study are eligible to apply for this award. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents as well as Ontario residents as defined by OSAP and in financial need.
Dr. Peter Zaparinuk Memorial Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to a 3rd or 4th year Music major in recognition of outstanding achievement in contemporary music composition.
Sterling Voice Award
This award is open to students entering 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year of full-time undergraduate study in music specializing in vocal performance. This award is intended to support aspiring singers of outstanding promise who could not otherwise afford to devote sufficient time and effort to the advanced vocal and musical studies they are ready to undertake. Applicants must demonstrate financial need.

In addition to department and Faculty-based awards, Fine Arts students are eligible for some other scholarships and bursaries that are offered university-wide.

Please refer to Student Financial Services and/or the Scholarships, Bursaries, Awards and Prizes section of the Undergraduate Calendar for additional information about scholarships, awards and bursaries available at York University.