The Kershaw County Music Association (KCMA), an affiliate member of the Fine Arts Center (FAC)of Kershaw County, will hold its annual music scholarship competition on Sunday, February 10 in the Wood Auditorium on the FAC campus. The deadline for submissions is February 1. Applications, along with rules and regulations, can be found on the FAC website at www.fineartscenter.org. They are also available at the FAC. There is a $5 application fee.
Since 1975, the KCMA has awarded outstanding music students from Kershaw County with prestigious scholarships to further their quest for musical excellence. The centerpiece of the competition is the Margaret Beckley Upton Memorial Scholarship (named for the late mother of Sibby Upton Wood), which provides full tuition for an intensive six-week residency at the Brevard Music Institute in Brevard, N.C.
Nestled in the Pisgah National Forest, the Brevard Institute attracts musicians of international renown to teach and perform in a festival ambiance of continuous musicals, concerts, pops, operas, recitals, and oratorios. Students are immersed in an environment that teaches what it means to work among gifted musicians toward individual and group excellence. Private lessons, classes, rehearsals, the freedom for concentrated practice, competitive performance opportunities and exposure to professional performances offer a rich educational experience.
The Brevard Music Center annually attracts thousands of people from all over the world. The greatest names in opera from the concert stage perform as guest artists with Brevard’s resident organization.
In addition to the Margaret Beckley/Upton Brevard scholarship, monetary prizes of $500 for the Senior Scholarship and $250 for the Junior Scholarship are given by the KCMA to be used for private study.
A guitar scholarship given by Bert Karesh in memory of her son, Rick Karesh, will be awarded as well. This award will subsidize up to $500 for private guitar study.
The KCMA anticipates a spirited competition this year. A public recital will follow the competition on February 10 at the Fine Arts Center at 4 pm.
The FAC, located at 810 Lyttleton St., is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding is provided by the city of Camden, Kershaw County, Duke Energy and Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina and donations from businesses and individuals.
