Kotzschmar Memorial Trust Scholarship

Eligibility

Kotzschmar Memorial Trust Scholarship, with an application deadline in April, offers numerous awards of $2000 each. Location restrictions exist.

Description

The Kotzschmar Memorial Trust Scholarship was established in 1911 to "aid in the musical education of such pupil or pupils of marked ability." The Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ annually awards monetary prizes to assist high school students in continuing their musical education. This is a musical performance competition. If selected, applicants will perform before a panel of judges. The Live Competition will be held on May 3, 2025, at Woodfords Church, Portland, ME. The winners will be selected based on ability and musicianship. To apply for the scholarship, students must be in the 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th Grade as of January 1st, 2025; must be a musician; must not be a child of an active board member or employee of FOKO; and must not be a Kotzschmar Scholarship prize winner in the 2024 competition. Applicants must identify the musical selections they will perform in the video and at the live competition. Please choose at least two, but no more than three selections. These selections must represent at least two varying styles in respect to genre, tone, or pace. The selections may be contrasting movements from the same work. Please also submit the music scores for these selections as PDF files with the application. Applicants must record and host a digital video performance of their musical selections. The video submission must be recorded within twelve months of the application deadline. The recording must be no more than ten minutes. At the start of the video, state your name, age and grade in school. At the start of each musical selection, state the name and composer of the composition. The recording must not be edited other than for the transitions between pieces. As a safeguard against editing, a physical timer or clock must be visible and readable in the recording. The performance may be accompanied by piano, but the performance must be the prominent focus. To submit the video recording, upload the digital video to a hosting site such as YouTube. Recordings should be uploaded into YouTube as a "Private" Visibility or Vimeo with Privacy as "Unlisted" to create a secure upload. Applicants will specify the URL to this video in their application. Do not send the digital recording file directly to FOKO. The application also includes a section to describe the applicant's musical experiences for the selected instrument. Prepare a list of instructors for that instrument, including the contact information for each instructor. Please visit the scholarship competition's website for more information.