The Eric Whitacre Scholarship

October 10, 2009 at 2:50 am UTC

I am truly proud to announce the Eric Whitacre Scholarship, graciously sponsored by DCINY.

It’s all pretty simple: DCINY and I will choose four singers (one from each voice part, SATB) to sing with me in the Carnegie Hall performance of my Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings. (June 15th, 2010).

Those four singers will have their entire performance fee ($590.00) waived. In addition, all four will join me at my table for dinner at the post-concert gala, which will take place at a swanky New York restaurant immediately following the performance.

The only application you will need will be your Virtual Choir Lux Aurumque video. Once you’ve uploaded it to YouTube, just put the word “scholarship” in the description and in the tags. That way we will know that you would like to be considered.

If you’ve already posted your video, just add the word “scholarship” now. And if you’ve already signed up for the trip and paid your money to perform, that money will be refunded in full if you are awarded the scholarship.

The criteria is simple as well: we’re looking for strong, pure singing; musicality; and passion. I know that all of you have all those qualities in abundance, so it’s going to be a tough call picking just four singers.

Here is a video that DCINY and MK8 media made to accompany the announcement, and I think it nicely encapsulates the reason I wanted to establish a scholarship: Once, long ago, a single teacher took a chance on me, believed in me, and changed my life forever. I’d love nothing more than to do the same for four outstanding singers.

Good luck!

Rob Henderson

Truly a generous thing to do, Mr. Whitacre. There are some VERY deserving singers out there who will be forever grateful to you for giving them their chance.
http://www.youtube.com/xoclkox Courtney Lea

Uh oh…now I'm not so confident lol. I hope I get it because this means so much to me that words cannot describe how bad I want this, but we'll see who gets it!
<:O)
http://jaimemclean.yolasite.com/ Jaime McLean

Mr Whitacre,
I think this is a fantastic thing you are doing to inspire young artists. I myself am on the journey to trying to make a career in music. I am a countertenor in Ottawa, Canada. I have just returned to Canada from Singing for two years in the UK with Truro Cathedral Choir. I would love to get the opportunity to sing with you, yet it seems the scholarship is only open to American Citizens. Best of luck anyway with the project!
http://ericwhitacre.com Eric

Jaime,

The scholarship is open to ANYONE, from any country. Go for it!

Eric
Tessa de Villiers

Mr Whitacre, my goodness, what a great idea and exciting opportunity:) Applying for something like this is far too tempting, but one thing holds me back a bit…. do we really have to put it on to YouTube? That's pretty public;) Couldn't we send it to you any other way? Maybe without the world as our audience?
Mike Anderson

Are spots still open for the Shadows and Wings date? Participation in this event is a prerequisite for this scholarship, I guess? I hadn't thought of auditioning, thinking "Nah, there'd be too many really good people applying for me to get a spot". But I'm seriously considering now. Can you be awarded the scholarship and not have auditioned for Shadows and Wings?
http://feyapl.blogspot.com/ Paige

Sounds amazing and so so generous, thank you for the opportunity!
Sarah Fisk

This sounds incredible. Can someone explain the audition requirements to me? What is the virtual choir all about?
squier

awwwww mr whitacre.
that is too sweet of you.
youre such a generous person…youre giving the same opportunity you got once, with people who want it too.

too bad i live in az. i can't afford the rest of the trip to carnegie hall, like hotel, flight, etc

but i can't wait to see who gets the scholarship!
this is going to be good.
Brady W.

Mr. Whitacre,

Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity to perform with you in NYC. I was very touched by what you said in the video regarding being a musician. It's our lives, and we only get one…So we must make the most out of it, and pursue our dreams and goals.

Once again…THANK YOU. =)

~Brady~
Robbie Bennett

Eric, you've already opened my eyes to the glorious sound and feelings that are prevalent in choral music. I had no idea until I met your music. I know that you have already changed the lives of many, but thank you for this opportunity.
Connor Lidell (from

You bet I will be auditioning. :D

Can't wait.
Emma

If two people from the same city (but different voice parts) upload a video, would that make it impossible for both of us to get the scholarship?
Jessica Beebe

Mr. Whitacre,
What a great idea to inspire musicians! I look forward to working on this project. One question – is there a deadline?

Thanks!
Jessica
Britlin Losee

Thank you so much for this opportunity. The four singers chosen will have the experience of a lifetime, a moment in each of their lives they will never forget. I am going to make my video soon. This is so wonderful what his happening with this virtual choir, connecting people from all over the world.
Dorothea Kamara

Mr. Whitacre,

I cannot begin to express how grateful I am that you are presenting the world with this opportunity of a lifetime. I just recieved the audition music and have been working strenuously to master it. All I need to know is when the scholarship deadline is and how to apply for it online? Again, thank you so much for giving music enthusiasts like us a chance to leap for such an incredible acheivement!
http://www.facebook.com/denaa.andrews Dena Andrews

A great woman once said, “Keep your dreams alive. Understand that achieving anything requires faith, belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” Through dreams and goals, one is forever striving to find success and accomplishment within life. I am a goal-driven person, a person who will not take “no” for an answer and will never give up. Because of who I am on the inside, I am able to reach my goals and accomplish glorious achievements in my life. I have learned through my experience that dreams, held near and dear to my heart, are what hold me together, make me who I am, and will determine my success. In reference to writer Gail Denvers, it depends on you yourself whether you ultimately achieve.

It requires weeks of waiting, months of preparation, and years of work towards accomplishment, to reach contentment within one’s own soul where you have come to realize you have achieved success in what you have worked for indefinitely. It is all a dream: goals, success, and the very thing that can hold you together when everything else may desert you. Within my own life, that dream which I strive to achieve is music. I wish for nothing more than to touch the hearts of people through music and to be at ease with myself in my art and to show the world the beauty of expression, the expression of a human soul presenting music. Before I could even comprehend what music truly was, it had filled me. Music, by the standard of a Webster’s dictionary, is not only those words; but it is so much more. Music is my life, the one thing that is there to catch me whenever I fall. Although music may discourage me and make me hurt at times, I know that it will never stop its flow within my veins.
For as long as I can remember, music has been my dying reach. Achieving great things through music has always been my will. Music is my passion, my vision, and my future; and that I neither deny nor reject. Music is my “happy” place, the epitome of my happiness and hard work. To succeed through music has been the only thing I have ever wanted since I was little. Within my life, wherever trouble or struggle came about, I could always turn to music. Through music, I believe I have truly accomplished and I will continue to throughout the rest of my life.

Accomplishment is the sense of knowing that have reached a goal. In my life, I believe I will come across numerous times of feeling accomplished, whether succeeding in putting on a very successful concert or even figuring out where to place a certain vowel in my vocal repertoire.

In the summer of 2009, I was given the astonishing opportunity to perform at Avery Fisher Hall, the world-renowned theater in Lincoln Center, New York, NY. At this event I debuted with a highly established choir, two Eric Whitacre pieces to an audience of over five hundred people and also performed several established choral pieces such as Cloudburst and Sleep. This experience still is pure and evident in my memory. Opportunities such as this never seem to come around often, especially for a seventeen year old high school student. It was not until I stepped on that stage in my black, silk concert dress that I had, for the first time in my life, felt success, felt that kind of accomplishment that you get when you know you have reached what you have continually been working for.

Without accomplishment or success, a person has no knowledge of the great personal joy you receive through both. By human nature, every person sets standards and dreams for themselves intuitively. By and through our dreams we strive forever to reach what we set out for ourselves from birth. As we age and continue to mature, we will always try our hardest to reach our dreams. Personally, I know I will never stop chasing my dreams and pursuing that feeling of satisfaction from success.

Eric, the only thing i want more in life is to perform and sing for the world, to just completely dedicate my life to the art. As i struggle and continue to fight things within my life, it is music that holds me together. You have changed my life, you have showed me a whole new meaning to performance. This scholarship is such a beautiful wonderful idea, and i would give anything to perform with you again.
Tessa Congdon

Wow, this is really awesome and I wish I could try out.
Mr. Whitacre, this semester in my english class, everyone had to choose one thing to research and bring a fact about it every week. At the end of the semester, we will have to write a large report on the subject. I choose to research you. It would mean the world to me(and my grade)if I could actually correspond with you. You are one of my heroes and one of the greatest inspirations in my career as a musician. Please respond!
Firman Saragih

Mr Whitacre,
I'm from Indonesia and i would like to participate in this event with one of my friend.
What i'd like to know is the deadline of the video-post on youtube, and whether participants from far countries such as my own is allowed to participate.
Regards n thank you for the opportunity
http://www.myspace.com/matthewsamson Matthew Samson

I can't seem to get my track to show up when I do a search on youtube, but it's definitely uploaded. Here's a link to it, just so I can be included. Enjoy :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6xnWJ4fwBU&fe…
http://youtube.com/RhondaWearsMarcJacobs Rhonda Rossway

It's a strange thing, the feeling that accompanies the realization that the happiness you've always searched for, the love that you've been ready to give, the future you've always been hoping for, was just waiting for a beautiful song one day in choral to make everything clear. The first time I heard sleep, I knew that all I wanted to do from that point on was sing. I forgot about my perspective college swim scholarships, my AP classes seemed less important, and my student council responsibilities paled in comparison. I had been singing for as long as I could remember, but up until then, it was just a hobby. No it's my future; a perspective career, as well as a lifetime love. I am forever indebted to you, for creating such a heart-wrenchingly beautiful piece of music, that could suddenly cause everything to make sense. So even though I'm still scared of what the future may hold, I'm optimistic, because I know there is something in my life that will fuel my passion, and keep me on the right track. So once again thank you, and God bless.
Tyler

I am not a vocalist but I am a fan of your music. I recently watched the scholarship video and must say thank you. I recently graduated and have been unable to find employment as a music teacher in my state. I have a day job and just got offered a promotion that would really help financially but the time commitment would prevent me from subbing and getting my "foot in the door". I lost sight of my goals and my passions as the student loan bills came in but as you said you only get one life. Thank you, I needed a little re-centering. Good luck to all.

Eric Whitacre

Blog

The Eric Whitacre Scholarship

Latest Posts

Eric on Facebook

About Eric

Connect With Eric