Scholarship Information

Music Department Scholarships are available to all incoming and continuing undergraduates and graduate students. Decisions are announced at the Department’s Closing Convocation the end of school year and awarded to students across two semesters, fall and spring, of the coming academic year. Mid-year awards/decisions are not possible.

Each award has its own criteria—see below—but awards are generally based on academic achievement, musical accomplishment, and service to the department. Of the funds award by application, students must apply to each award to win. Funds are normally awarded in two installments starting with the fall semester, the second half being dependent upon continued enrollment in the Spring semester and satisfactory academic progress.

For information about Graduate Assistantships, click here.

Heide Student Assistance Fund in Music

Students enrolled in music courses at any level planning a project in music endorsed by two music faculty members. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

The Andrew Nyborg Fellowship in Music

Full-time graduate student majoring in Music.

UH Bands Achievement Scholarship

For students registered for marching band by the final day of spring registration. For more information, visit this page.

UH Bands Richard S. Lum Endowed Scholarship

Full-time UHM undergraduate who is an active member in good standing with UH Bands.

Jimmy Borges Endowed Scholarship in Music

Full-time undergraduate music major pursuing a degree in vocal music performance.

Louella Shipwright Buchenau Applied Music Scholarship

Full-time music major at UH Manoa taking applied music lessons in piano.

Ernest Chang Piano Studio Scholarship

Full-time, UHM music major studying piano. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Chinese Music Scholarship

Student enrolled in applied lessons or ensembles to study the Chinese violin, erhu.

Chen Music Composition Scholarship

Music composition majors at UHM with preference to those focused on classical and folk musics of Taiwan, Hawai‘i, Japan, and other Asian countries. This award is decided independently by faculty and is without application.

Musical Moments with June Chun Piano Scholarship

Full-time undergraduate music major registered for applied piano lessons. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Peter Coraggio Memorial Scholarship

Full-time music major registered for applied piano lessons. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Cooke Piano Scholarship

Full-time music major registered for applied piano lessons. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Cooke Chamber Music Scholarship

Full-time undergraduate or graduate strings student enroll in chamber music ensemble class (410f).

Beau Gard Dixon Memorial Scholarship

Undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in applied music courses in ethnomusicology.

Friends of Music at Mānoa Scholarship

Full-time undergraduate music major at the University of Hawai’i Music Department. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Gregory Goetz Music Scholarship

Music Education major at the Bachelor or Master of Education level with the intention of becoming a secondary school choral director. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Graduate Fellowship in Ethnomusicology

Full-time graduate student accepted to the graduate program in ethnomusicology at UHM. Fellow must have guaranteed round-trip transportation from country of origin. This award is decided independently by faculty and is without application.

Gregg Hagiwara Scholarship

Full-time undergraduate music major with junior or senior standing. Preference will be given to a student of percussion or gamelan, all other qualifications being equal. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Fritz Hart Memorial Scholarship

Undergraduate or graduate music major. Awarded on the basis of academic achievement, GPA, and service to the department. Students must be full time with an exception made for a student in the senior recital semester or for one who has completed all other requirements for the degree.

Hinshaw Hawaiian Music Scholarship

Full-time, undergraduate students in UHM’s Music Department with a focus on native Hawaiian music. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Reiko Fujimoto Endowed Scholarship

Full-time undergraduate music major with preference given to incoming freshmen studying piano or voice. (minimum 3.3 GPA for incoming students, 3.0 GPA for continuing students)

Honolulu Chinatown Lions Club Piano Scholarship

Full-time, UHM music major studying piano. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Hawai‘i Music Teachers Association Scholarship

Full-time, UHM music major studying in any area including composition, voice, piano, instrumental, music education, ethnomusicology, and musicology. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Honolulu Piano Teachers Associationa Scholarship

Full-time undergraduate or graduate music major studying piano in major applied music sequence number. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Geoffrey Lloyd Memorial Scholarship

Full-time music major, with preference given to voice and musicology majors. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Ellen Masaki School of Music Piano Scholarship

Full-time, UHM music major studying piano. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Donald Matsumori Music Award

Any student engaged in significant music research. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Marianne Miyamura Memorial Piano Scholarship

Full-time, UHM undergraduate music major studying piano. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Mary Jane Montano Memorial Fund

Student engaged in the “preservation of Hawaiian music” by means of research, composition, scholarship, etc.

Music Department Scholarship

Full-time music majors at UHM. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Aya Noda Piano Scholarship

Full-time, UHM music major studying piano. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Nesta Obermer Chamber Music Scholarship

Applied music student in string instruments.

Mae Zenke Orvis Award

Outstanding graduating voice student. This award is decided independently by faculty and is without application.

Orvis Vocal Music Endowed Scholarship & Vocal Student Grants

Full-time outstanding graduate or undergraduate voice majors at UHM. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduate students; 2.0 for undergraduate students. This award is decided independently by faculty and is without application.

William Pfeiffer Memorial Scholarship

Full-time undergraduate or graduate music major at UHM with preference given to those in voice or ethnomusicology. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Presser Scholarship

Outstanding music major, following the end of the student’s junior year. Courses taken must include, at least to the extent of one-third, academic subjects outside music.

Ho‘oulu Richards Scholarship

Graduate or undergraduate student of hula and chant (undergraduate must be of at least Junior standing), having completed MUS 412 (Hula Chant II) and other courses in Hawaiian culture. Preference given to a Music or Hawaiian Studies major. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Gustafsson-Rittenband Endowment Scholarship Fund

Full-time, UHM music major with an emphasis on Hawaiian music, dance, and chant. (minimum 2.50 GPA, 3.0 GPA to renew)

Ruth Small Memorial Scholarship

Full-time, UHM music major studying piano or other instrument.

Stephensen Endowed Music Scholarship

Full-time, UHM music major. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Professor Hardja Susilo Endowed Scholarship

Undergraduate or graduate students studying Javanese or Balinese Gamelan, Indonesian music, or ethnomusicology.

UH Symphony Orchestra Achievement Scholarship

For students registered for MUS 416B by the final day of spring registration.

Allen R. Trubitt Scholarship

Full-time undergraduate music major at UHM. For distinctive performance in theory core courses. This award is decided independently by faculty and is without application.

Richard Vine Scholarship

Full-time, UHM music major with preference to voice students. (minimum 3.0 GPA)

Diamond Head Theatre’s Burnett/Selleck Scholarship

Students majoring in theatre, music, dance, or art who have demonstrated an interest in theatrical productions. Deadlines: mid-March, and mid-October. Applications and information are available through the College of Arts & Humanities, 808-956-6052.

Danny Kaleikini/Kahala Hilton Hotel Scholarship

A student majoring in one of the Arts & Humanities departments who is a graduate of a Hawai‘i high school. Deadlines: mid-March and mid-October. Applications and information are available through the College of Arts & Humanities, 808-956-6052.

Dorothy Kahananui Music Scholarship

Full-time undergraduate, graduate, or professional diploma candidates in the Music Education program (elementary level) at UHM. Applications are available in the fall through the College of Education (Development), Rm. 131, WA2, 808-956-7988. Learn more here.