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Scholarships

Academics / Departments & Programs / Music / Scholarships

Whether you're majoring in music or not, you can apply for a wide range of scholarships and financial support at Calvin.

Whether you're a music major or just want to develop your musical knowledge and skills through private lessons, ensembles, and music courses, we encourage you to apply for the Music Scholarship Program.

Calvin's robust music scholarship program is tailored to meet you at each stage of your academic career. Many named and endowed scholarships are designated for current students in their second through fourth years of study. The music department also offers a limited number of scholarships for new students who demonstrate outstanding musical preparation and who wish to continue making music at Calvin.

All music scholarship applications and recorded auditions are carefully reviewed by full-time members of the music faculty. Awards are based on talent and ability to contribute to enriching the musical life of the Calvin community. Scholarships range from $600–$2,000 for one academic year (divided over two semesters) with some endowed name scholarships of greater value.

Scholarships & Requirements

  • Application
    Application Requirements

    Note: all application materials are due by January 31, 2023. Check back later for information on future application deadlines.

    Please note: The music application is part of the general application.

    Application materials include:

    1. Online application at https://calvin.academicworks.com/.
    2. Audition recording - Recordings should be submitted as a YouTube link in https://calvin.academicworks.com/.

    Although many institutions hold live auditions, Calvin University requires a recorded audition so that every applicant, from anywhere in the U.S. or abroad, will receive equal consideration. We do encourage every prospective music student to visit Calvin University, sit in on classes, and perhaps take a sample lesson with one of our instructors.

    Scholarships for first-year students are available for:

    • Voice
    • Piano
    • Instrumental (Woodwinds, Brass, Strings)
    • Guitar
    • Organ
    • Percussion
    • Composition

    Some scholarships require students to take private lessons in the area of the award and most require participation in an appropriate faculty-directed ensemble for the duration of the scholarship.

    Application Process

    Deadline: January 31, 2023

    1. Complete your application for admission to Calvin University (calvin.edu/apply).
    2. Complete the music scholarship application online form at calvin.academicworks.com. Provide a link to your audition recording on YouTube.
    3. If you are thinking about majoring in music, consider attending a Calvin admissions advent. Register to attend or contact the admissions office at www.calvin.edu/admissions/visit or 1-800-688-0122.

    Notification of the results for scholarship awards will be mailed to the applicants by mid-March 2023.

  • Auditions
    All Areas

    All auditions should be submitted as part of Calvin's online scholarship application available December 1.

    All performance auditions should be video-recorded live and uploaded to YouTube. Submissions of original compositions can be live video recordings or audio recordings, and should also be uploaded to YouTube. The scholarship application will ask you to provide links to your YouTube recordings. (Here you can find Information on uploading videos to YouTube.)

    Vocal

    Length — no more than 10 minutes total
    Repertoire —Two songs of contrasting styles that best demonstrate musicality, tone, tempo, and technique. Contest, competition, or other solo performance pieces are appropriate. Examples of appropriate selections include:

    • An art song, opera aria or oratorio in English or a foreign language. (e.g., Schubert’s “Die schöne Müllerin,” Vivaldi’s “Un certo non so che,” Barber’s “Sure on this Shining Night”)
    • A selection from music theater repertoire. (e.g., “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Misérables, “Defying Gravity” from Wicked)
    • A vocal selection of your choice; this could be an arrangement of a hymn, gospel song, popular song, or jazz standard. (e.g., “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” “Blue Skies”)

    Piano

    Length — no more than 10 minutes total
    Repertoire — choose two (2) contrasting selections from the following:

    • a baroque work, such as a Sinfonia or Prelude and Fugue by J.S. Bach
    • a fast movement from a sonata by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven
    • a Romantic work (Chopin, Brahms, Schumann, etc.)
    • an Impressionistic or 20th/21st Century work

    Instrumental (Woodwinds, Brass, Strings)

    Length — no more than 10 minutes total
    Repertoire — choose two (2) contrasting selections from the following list. The selections should best demonstrate musicality, tone, tempo, and technique.

    • a movement from a sonata, concerto or comparable composition
    • a solo piece that is appropriate for high school solo & ensemble festival (contest)
    • a standard solo etude

    Guitar

    Length — no more than 10 minutes total
    Repertoire — choose two (2) compositions representing contrasting styles. One piece should be originally written for the guitar and the other could be a transcription. One of the two may be in a jazz or popular style.

    Organ

    Length — no more than 10 minutes total
    Repertoire — choose two (2) contrasting selections:

    • one composition by J.S. Bach (such as a Chorale Prelude or a Prelude and/or Fugue)
    • one contrasting composition from any style period (if the Bach work is meditative, this choice should be vigorous and vice versa)

    Percussion

    Length — no more than 10 minutes total
    Repertoire — choose two (2) excerpts, etudes or solo works in contrasting styles on any of the following instruments: snare drum (rudimental or concert); timpani; and marimba, vibraphone, or xylophone. Excerpts may be performed on the same instrument, but demonstrating abilities on two instruments is encouraged.

    Composition

    The following materials will be requested in the online application:

    1. Recordings of two of your compositions, ideally in contrasting styles, uploaded to YouTube. (These can be live video recordings or audio recordings.)
    2. Scores, lead sheets, and/or lyrics for both recorded compositions you have submitted (in PDF format)
    3. A one-page written narrative that tells us about a little bit about yourself and your music (in PDF format). It should include:
      • A description of your experience with composition thus far (e.g., have you taken lessons? How long? How much work have you done as a composer?)
      • A short program note explaining the central idea and/or history behind each of the two pieces you have submitted.

How to apply for scholarships

The application forms for named scholarships are available every year beginning December 1 and must be submitted by January 31. All of the scholarships for new and current students are available online. All students who will be enrolled next academic year are encouraged to apply.

  1. NAME
    AMOUNT
    CLASS
    GPA
  2. $1,500
    SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  3. $3,400
    JR/SR
    3.10
  4. $3,900
    SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  5. $3,500
    SO
    2.50
  6. $1,800
    JR/SR
    2.50
  7. $2,400
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  8. $2,500
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    2.80
  9. $3,500
    JR/SR
    3.00
  10. $2,500
    FR
    2.50
  11. $1,100
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  12. $4,900
    FR
    3.50
  13. $7,500
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  14. varies
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  15. $2,650
    SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  16. $2,000
    SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  17. $2,150
    JR/SR
    2.50
  18. $5,150
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  19. $2,200
    SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  20. $1,600
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  21. $2,100
    SO/JR/SR
    3.00
  22. $2,400
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    3.20
  23. $2,200
    JR
    2.50
  24. $3,200
    SO/JR/SR
    3.00
  25. $6,700
    FR
    3.00
  26. $3,400
    JR/SR
    2.50
  27. $1,000
    FR
    2.50
  28. $3,500
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  29. $2,800
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  30. $1,650
    JR/SR
    3.00
  31. $2,300
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  32. $3,400
    JR/ SR
    3.00
  33. $6,900
    SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  34. $3,800
    JR/SR
    2.50
  35. $2,450
    SO/JR/SR
    3.00
  36. $3,100
    JR/SR
    2.50
  37. $3,400
    JR/SR
    2.50
  38. $5,000
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  39. $6,100
    SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  40. $3,100
    FR
    2.50
  41. $3,300
    JR/SR
    2.70
  42. $2,800
    FR
    2.50
  43. $6,000
    JR/SR
    3.00
  44. $3,400
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    3.00
  45. $3,200
    JR/SR
    3.20
  46. $2,600
    FR
    2.50
  47. $4,000
    JR/SR
    3.50
  48. $2,000
    SO/JR/SR
    3.00
  49. $3,600
    SO/JR/SR
    3.00
  50. $2,208
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  51. $5,100
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  52. $2,500
    SO/JR/SR
    2.70
  53. $5,400
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    2.50
  54. $7,700
    FR/SO/JR/SR
    2.50

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