UMBC's Department of Music has established a Music Performance Fellowship program, to begin in the 2001-2002 academic year. The fellowships will enable talented students to pursue their interest in music, regardless of their major. Each fellow will receive a scholarship to cover the cost of private lessons, for which students will receive academic credit.

Many UMBC students have strong backgrounds in music, with years of training, but are majoring in other disciplines. By supporting both further training and performance, the fellowships will encourage students not only to continue to improve their skills but to develop a life-long appreciation of and commitment to the arts. For many students musical outlets are as essential as athletic outlets are for others; they offer a break from the regimen of the traditional classroom while providing intellectual, physical, and spiritual stimulation in a social context.

Through performance the fellows will enrich campus life. UMBC Music Performance Fellows will form the core of a new ensemble, the UMBC Chamber Players, directed by Wayne Cameron and coached by other talented performers from UMBC's faculty. Outreach performances in area elementary and middle schools and other institutions, such as the Charlestown Retirement Center, will also provide these students an opportunity to serve the community and foster civic values.

Linda Dusman, chair of UMBC's Department of Music, says, "Academic talent and musical talent often go hand-in-had. So we are excited to offer an opportunity for musically talented students throughout the university to meet one another through the UMBC Chamber Players as Music Performance Fellows. Their love of music will not only enrich their lives, but the life of the UMBC campus and the surrounding community."

The UMBC Chamber Players will perform a wide range of chamber music from the vast historical repertoire, including such pieces as Stravinsky's L'Histoire du Soldat, the Beethoven Octet, Schubert's Shepherd on the Rock, and Copland's Appalachian Spring. A pilot ensemble, modeled on the UMBC Music Performance Fellowship program, has been formed for the spring 2001 semester. The group includes a Meyerhoff Scholar majoring in biochemistry (violin), a pre-med student (cello), and a transfer student from Russia, majoring in music (piano). The ensemble has begun rehearsal and is planning its first recital this spring.

For more information, call the Department of Music at (410) 455-2942.