Audition for a Music Scholarship

Music scholarships are separate from the university scholarship program. The Department of Music offers scholarships to music majors who show exceptional talent and are given for demonstrated ability by audition. Scholarships amounts typically range between $1000 – $10,000 per year. 

All prospective students will be considered for a music scholarship during the fall and spring audition dates based on the level of performance exhibited during the audition.

Current SSU music students can audition for a scholarship on the November audition date and must fill out an Audition Application Form and upload two letters of recommendation. Music scholarships are awarded based on artistic talent and scholastic merit. Decisions will be made approximately two weeks after the February auditions.

Music Scholarships are evaluated and renewed annually. Conditions of scholarship acceptance and continuance include:

1. Residency requirement (enrolled on campus) 
2. Full-time enrollment (minimum 12 units)
3. Active participation in assigned ensembles, as indicated in the scholarship contract
4. Minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA 
5. No grade lower than a C in any music course *(a grade of C- is lower than a C)

Evert B. Person Endowment Fund

Evert B. Person (1915 – 2011) was the former publisher of The Press Democrat and one of Sonoma County's foremost philanthropists. Thanks to his generosity, a substantial endowment fund was established to support scholarship assistance to students majoring in the performing arts. In addition to scholarships, the Person Fund allows us to support our students by bringing to SSU a variety of guest artists: master teachers, individual performers and performing groups, professional designers for productions. We also use funds from the Person Endowment to augment regular faculty with resident guest artists who work with students for a semester or more.Music Scholarships

Music Scholarships

• James Abriel Memorial Scholarship Endowment*                                                   
• Susan Jeza Music Scholarship*                                                                                    
• American Foundation for the Arts                                                                                                                            
• John and Peggy Donovan-Jeffry Scholarship                                                       
• Mel Graves Scholarship Fund                                                                                       
• Doug Heen and Bill Scogland Music Talent Award                                                
• Demetrio and Theresa Jeffry Scholarship                                                                
• Vesta Jelte Scholarship                                                                                               
• Jeff Langley Honorary Scholarship Endowment Fund                                          
• Carolyn Lewis Memorial Scholarship                                                                       
• Bettina Vegara Lieber and Dr. Paul Lieber Violin Scholarship Endowment     
• Tamara Loring Scholarship Fund                                                                                 
• Arthur Carl Mammen Memorial Scholarship                                                             
• Beverly J. McDonald Piano Scholarship                                                                  
• Michael McDonald Scholarship                                                                                     
• Lalmani Misra Memorial Scholarship                                                                       
• Marvin Olson Memorial Endowment                                                                           
• Melody Palmer Endowment Fund                                                                                 
• Evert B. Person Endowment Fund                                                                             
• William and Virginia Ross Memorial Scholarship                                                   
• P. Kathleen Roth Endowed Scholarship Fund                                                          
• Roxy Roth Scholarship Fund                                                                                      
• Ezra G. Rust Scholarship for Musical Talent                                                         
• Larry A. and Zilpha K. Snyder Memorial Scholarship                                             
• Stephen Sorenson Memorial Scholarship                                                              
• Laxmi Ganesh Tewari Merit Scholarship                                                                  
• Pierce and Marie Thompson Memorial Piano Scholarship                                   
• U'Ren Family Scholarship                                                                                              
• Valdasz Family Foundation Endowed Music Fund                                                   
• Ken Winett Scholarship                                                                                                  
• World of Carpets Scholarship                                                                                        

University Scholarships

Financial Aid and Scholarship Office is the official hub for scholarship information at Sonoma State University and awards over $2.5M in institutional scholarship opportunities each year. To be considered for merit scholarships, our University Scholarship Program enables students to complete a single application for a chance to be matched to over 200 opportunities.