Scholarships & Awards

The Carla “Carol” Ferrando Memorial Endowed Scholarship is awarded to promising piano students pursuing their education at San Francisco State University. Blind at birth, Carol Ferrando began piano lesson at the SF Conservatory of Music at the age of six. Carol later studied at San Francisco State University where she earned both her Bachelor and Master's degree in Music. After her studies Carol often performed throughout the Bay Area. She also opened her own music studio where she taught until her death in 2011.

Criteria: Student may be either a full- or part-time undergraduate or graduate piano major in School of Music. Student must compete in the Carla Ferrando Piano Competition.

Term: All scholarships awarded hereunder shall be for one (1) year, but may be renewed upon meeting criteria and eligibility.

Eligibility: Student must meet the annual GPA School of Music requirement (3.0). Applicants must self-describe financial need in a maximum one page statement.

Mr. Milton Preves (pronounced PREEves) who served as Principal Violist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for 52 years under seven CSO music directors and countless guest conductors, died Sunday, June 11, 2000. The longtime Glenview, Illinois resident was a fixture in local music circles and an educator who held professorships at DePaul and Northwestern Universities. He had a home studio where he taught as many as 30 private students a week, and he conducted a number of amateur orchestras during his career. He genially accepted his colleagues' cracks about his longevity, and he happily recounted for them what it was like to be directed by Arturo Toscanini, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Igor Stravinsky. Mr. Preves' sound and precision impressed even the gruff and demanding Reiner, while Solti, writing in his 1997 "Memoirs," said he was struck not just by Mr. Preves' playing, but by his leadership skills.

"Many of the players were not only outstanding musicians, but also outstanding leaders," Solti wrote of his first impressions. He singled out Mr. Preves: "Milton Preves led the viola section as a benevolent dictator." The comment spoke volumes about Mr. Preves' reputation as a section leader. Though he ably performed more than two dozen times as a soloist with the CSO--an impressive number, even considering his long tenure--it was his leadership abilities that most distinguished him.

He smoothly communicated phrasings, bowings and dynamics, and he seamlessly interpreted the musical desires of a multitude of conductors. He was renowned for his communication with other section leaders, said his son, David. In performances, Mr. Preves' eyes moved as much as his bow, darting from conductor to music to other section leaders; in CSO recordings, especially under Reiner, one can hear his 1723 Montagnana singing out above the entire viola section.

Criteria: (1) Full-time student enrolled at San Francisco State University; (2) Accepted by audition for applied study in viola; (3) Must be in the first year of graduate study or in the junior or senior year of undergraduate study; (4) If no candidates are eligible or acceptable in viola, candidates may be considered in cello

Eligibility: All rising Juniors, Seniors, as well as auditioning violists and cellists are automatically considered for this scholarship.

Award: Varies

Term: All scholarships awarded hereunder shall be for one (1) academic year, but may be renewed upon meeting the listed criteria and eligibility for no more than one (1) consecutive year upon the recommendation of the viola or cello major professor. Must maintain good academic standing with consistent progress toward graduation.

Each year the Award is presented to an outstanding piano student at San Francisco State University in memory of Michael Seagrove Avalos, who earned his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in piano performance at SFSU. Because of Michael's special love for Hispanic music, the winner of this award includes music by a Hispanic composer both in the competition for the award and in the award recital. The Competition is held in the Fall Semester of odd-numbered years (2021, 2023, etc.)

Criteria: Student may be a full-time undergraduate or graduate student. Student must compete in the Michael Avalos Piano Competition. One of the pieces performed must be by an Hispanic composer.

Eligibility: Student must meet the annual GPA School of Music requirement (3.0)

Selection: The piano competition panel may include faculty members and one non-faculty piano professional.

To support needy students with superior musical and academic ability.

Criteria: Superior musical achievement. Determined and awarded by committee.

Eligibility: Music Major; Undergrad: FULL-TIME; Grad: FULL-TIME; HS GPA: 3.0; Undergrad GPA: 3.0; Grad GPA: 3.0

Assist students majoring in music by defraying educational expenses. Special provisions allow recipients who complete their music degree at SF State in a timely manner with an above-average grade point average and a high level of musical achievement to have their Pone loan forgiven.

Criteria:
1) Applicants must audition for the School of Music scholarship committee.
2) Applicants must have a record of high academic and musical achievement.
3) Recipients who continue as music majors at SF State and who maintain satisfactory academic and musical progress are eligible to reapply annually.
4) Students may apply to borrow a minimum of $400 up to a maximum of $4,000 for one academic year.
5) Students may not borrow more than $20,000 over the course of their studies.
6) Students will be required to repay funds if the student is no longer a music major at SF State, withdraws from SF State without an approved leave of absence or the student changes to a different music degree program or emphasis without scholarship committee approval.

Eligibility:

Music Major; Undergrad: FULL-TIME; Grad: FULL-TIME; HS GPA: 3.0; Undergrad GPA: 3.0; Grad GPA: 3.0

In memory of Paul Andrieu, this annual scholarship is awarded to a Junior to help fund the senior year in preparing for a career in piano performance or piano education. The Scholarship is furnished by the Ross McKee Foundation. The Foundation has its beginnings in the Music and Arts Institute of San Francisco founded by Ross McKee. Upon Mr. McKee’s death, the Institute closed and the property was sold. From the sale of the property, The Ross McKee Foundation for the Musical Arts was created to continue Mr. McKee’s legacy of supporting young Bay Area Musicians.

Criteria: Student may be a full-time undergraduate junior student (accrued between 60-90 units by the time of the hearing). Graduate students are not eligible to apply. Student must compete in the Paul Andrieu Piano Competition.

Eligibility: Student must meet the annual GPA School of Music requirement (3.0)

Selection: The piano competition panel may include faculty members and one non-faculty piano professional.

Works for instrument/voice and orchestra. Competition dates announced after Sept 1 each year. Competition auditions are in October/November. Please consult with the faculty teaching MUS 371 (Orchestra) before selecting your work.

The SFSU Shirley Walker Award for excellence in Music for Visual Media is a certificate of achievement presented each year to a deserving student who shows exceptional promise in the art and craft of composing for film, games and other forms of visual media. 

Award: Certificate of Merit only. Not a scholarship

Criteria: The award is given based on the student’s creative body of work produced while studying at SFSU and serves to highlight exceptional work and dedication to the art and craft of composing music for film, games and other forms of visual media. In tribute to Ms. Walker, as a pioneer of diversity in the field of scoring for visual media, this award seeks especially to highlight the work of students who identify as Black; Indigenous; Persons of Color; Women.

Eligibility:  Students who are seniors (completed at least 90 undergrad or 20 graduate units and have applied for graduation), enrolled in the BA BM or MA degrees and part of the SFSU composition studio are automatically nominated for consideration by a faculty panel. Students do not apply for this certificate of achievement.

Selection: The award selection panel will include SFSU composition faculty in consultation with the student's private instructors and music department chair. All members determine the recipient independently.

Shirley Anne Walker (née Rogers; April 10, 1945 – November 30, 2006) was a SFSU alumnus and American film and television composer and conductor. She was, in her day, one of the few female film score composers working in Hollywood. In 1994, Walker was one of the first female composers to earn a solo score credit on a major Hollywood motion picture and according to the Los Angeles Times, will be remembered as a pioneer for women in the film industry. 

Walker was born in Napa, California on April 10, 1945. She was a piano soloist with the San Francisco Symphony during high school, and later attended San Francisco State University on a piano scholarship. She studied music composition under Roger Nixon and piano studies with Harald Logan. She wrote her film scores entirely by hand. She always orchestrated and conducted her own scores by herself. 

The ASCAP Shirley Walker Award was created in her honor in 2014.

Rules: Submit one paper, written by you for an undergraduate music class at SF State during the current academic year Papers may be submitted by student or faculty (Must be a student paper)

• Author’s name should appear only on cover page
• Papers will be judged anonymously
• Please turn your submission in to the music office (CA 140) front desk

Selection: Faculty panel will judge the papers.

William Corbett-Jones is a celebrated pianist located in the San Francisco Bay Area. A distinguished artist/professor at San Francisco State University, Corbett-Jones has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia as soloist with orchestra, recitalist and in collaboration with internationally renowned colleagues. This scholarship is aimed at providing financial assistance to talented and deserving piano students at SF State.

Criteria: Student may be either a full- or part-time undergraduate student (Graduate students are not eligible to apply). Student must compete in the William Corbett Jones Piano Competition.

Eligibility: Student must meet the annual GPA School of Music requirement (3.0)

Selection: The piano competition panel will include faculty members and one non-faculty piano professional with all members determining the recipient independently.

To provide funds for music scholarships.

Criteria:

1) 3.0 Music GPA
2) Excellence in the student’s specialized area of music.
3) On occasion, the need of the dept for that student.

Eligibility: Student must meet the annual GPA School of Music requirement (3.0)

To provide support to promote the development of gifted pianists in the SFSU Bachelor of Music & Master of Music piano performance program.

Criteria: Student must be a full-time undergraduate or graduate piano major in School of Music.

Eligibility: Student must meet the annual GPA School of Music requirement (3.0).

The scholarship was established to help strengthen and permanently support the Music Department at SF State. It is Mrs. Donna Kline’s intent this scholarship will provide financial assistance to a junior, senior, or graduate student enrolled in music classes as a major or a minor at SF State, and give a motivated and focused music student these same opportunities.

Criteria:

1) Students minoring in Music are eligible to apply.
2) Demonstrate financial need. (FAFSA not required).

Term: All scholarships awarded hereunder shall be for one (1) year, but may be renewed upon meeting criteria and eligibility.

Eligibility: Undergrad GPA: 2.5; Grad GPA: 2.5

Provide financial assistance to students preparing for a career in musical performance.

Single-Music Majors – piano, strings, classical guitar, classical voice, woodwinds, brass, percussion and world music, composition, composers, theory.

To assist the School of Music in its desire to provide significant scholarship support to promising student musicians, with an emphasis on promoting equity and inclusion, especially for under-represented populations and for closing the opportunity gap.

Criteria:
1. Students enrolled as music majors in the School of Music, pursuing any program or instrument can apply.
2. Students must be enrolled in at least four (4) units per semester in the School of Music to receive the scholarship (part-time and full-time students can apply).
3. Applicants must submit a portfolio or audition.

Eligibility: Undergrad: 4 UNITS; Grad: 4UNITS; HS GPA: N/A; SF State Undergrad GPA: 2.5; SF State Grad GPA: 2.5

Foster and encourage continuing performance in a music ensemble at SF State by non-music majors through their college careers through forgivable loans to defray educational expenses.

1) Must enroll and participate in School of Music Large classical music instrumental ensembles (wind ensemble and/or orchestra).
2) Must attend all rehearsals and performances.
3) Must practice and perfect music outside of rehearsal.
4) Scholarship will be awarded as a loan, the total amount of which will be forgiven each semester, upon successful completion of requirements for ensemble participation.

Eligibility: NON-music majors, any major except Music; HS GPA: 3.0; Undergrad GPA: 3.0; Grad GPA: 3.0

The purpose of the John Handy Music Scholarship for Jazz Studies is to provide financial assistance to a student pursuing a career in jazz performance and/or jazz composing.

Criteria:

1) Must have Jazz studies as a major or minor emphasis
2) Open to both current music majors at SF State or applicants to the music major degree program at SF State.
3) Applicants must audition as part of the application process and meet the normal academic and musical standards as established for all scholarship recipients in the School of Music at SF State.
4) Require to enroll each semester in the ensemble(s) specified by the scholarship selection committee.

Eligibility: Music with Jazz Studies emphasis; Full-time; HS GPA: 3.0; Undergrad GPA: 3.0; Grad GPA: 3.0

Award: Varies

Term: 5) Students awarded a scholarship from the John Handy scholarship fund may have their scholarship awards renewed in subsequent semesters or academic years, if the faculty committee believes the scholarship renewal is warranted, as demonstrated by a recipient’s academic progress and musical development. Current recipients who wish to be considered for continuance of their scholarship award, must reapply each year by the deadline date.

To support students studying voice at SF State University in the School of Music.

Criteria: Music Majors – Classical voice, Soprano, Tenor, Bass

Eligibility: Undergrad: Any; Grad: Masters/2nd BA; Full-time; Undergrad GPA: 3.0; Grad GPA: 3.0

Mona Shahnavaz  established this Fund in memory of her late father, Dr. Manouchehr Shahnavaz. Dr. Shahnavaz was born in Tehran, Iran and ever the adventurous and academic, he trailblazed his path through medical school to the University of Geneva in Switzerland and completed his surgery residency in the UK while completing a fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in London. Despite opportunities to establish his life and practice in any western country of his choice, his love for Iran brought him back home to serve his homeland. Dr. Shahnavaz was an art and music enthusiast. He was the first person to introduce the Donor to a piece of classical music, Concerto de Aranjuez, and took her to her first real concert in Tehran Symphony Hall when she was only ten years old.

The purpose of the Dr. Manouchehr Shahnavaz Memorial Scholarship in Music is to support promising undergraduate students in Music. 

Awards to students majoring in music who are in financial need.

Criteria: Music Majors – piano, strings, classical guitar, classical voice, woodwinds, brass, percussion and world music, composition, composers, theory

Eligibility: Undergrad: Any; Grad: Masters/2nd BA; Full-time; Undergrad GPA: 3.0; Grad GPA: 3.0

To encourage excellence in the study of music.

Criteria: Music majors

Eligibility: Undergrad: Any; Grad: Masters/2nd BA; Full-time; Undergrad GPA: 3.0; Grad GPA: 3.0

To provide scholarships to music majors with “B” average. Candidate must demonstrate talent and commitment to contemporary music.

Criteria: Music Majors – piano, strings, classical guitar, classical voice, woodwinds, brass, percussion and world music, composition, composers, theory.

Eligibility: Undergrad: Any; Grad: Masters/2nd BA; Full-time; Undergrad GPA: 3.0; Grad GPA: 3.0

The Award is made to outstanding undergraduate music major at the end of their junior year. The student is selected by the music faculty guided solely by consideration of merit.

Eligibility: All rising Juniors are automatically considered for this scholarship.