2025 School of Music Senior Honors and Awards
Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award
The Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award is the School of Music's highest honor.
Recipient: Elizabeth Langston
Gonfaloniers
School of Music Gonfalon
Recipient: Elizabeth Langston
Bachelor of Music Gonfalon
Recipient: Madelyn Munley
Bachelor of Music Education Gonfalon
Recipient: Lindsey Adams
Pi Kappa Lambda Inductees
Pi Kappa Lambda, the National Music Honor Society, was established in 1918 at Northwestern University. The purpose of this Society is to provide an organization dedicated to the furtherance of music in education and education in music in colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning, which offer music degree programs in one or more fields. The primary objective of the Society is the recognition and encouragement of the highest level of musical achievement and academic scholarship. The Society is convinced that recognizing and honoring persons who have enhanced their talents by serious, diligent and intelligent study will stimulate others to do the same.
Juniors
Recipients: Katarina Nieminen, Victoria Camposano Reyes, Rayah Yehnert, Emma Floyd
Seniors
Recipients: Sydney Holder, Lindsey Adams, Madelyn Munley
Outstanding Awards
Outstanding First Year Music Majors
Recipients: Nicole Van Esselstyn, Simon Smith, Rachel Kirkland, Aiden Butler, Lilyadny De Leon
Outstanding Second Year Music Majors
Recipients: Andrei Caquimbo, Rianne Lee, Phia Maritz, Aine Mullen, Madeline Peacock, Madiann Rivera-Velez
Outstanding Senior University-Wide Participants
Recipients: Logan Hawkins, Alex Douma, Kaitlyn Alexander, Alexander Trochessett
Outstanding Senior in Music Education - Vocal
The faculty recognizes outstanding Music Education graduates for their distinguished performance in the student internship and promise for a strong professional future.
Recipient: Ashlyn Hull
Outstanding Senior in Music Education - Instrumental
The faculty recognizes outstanding Music Education graduates for their distinguished performance in the student internship and promise for a strong professional future.
Recipient: Elizabeth Langston
Mollie Sandiford Rich and Robert C. Rich Legacy Endowed Scholarship
Bob and Mollie Rich touched countless lives over the course of more than 30 years as scholars, artists, mentors and friends. Not only did they provide world-class instruction for their students, but their mentorship continued well beyond the classroom door. Always quick to recognize the needs of others and selflessly offer assistance, Bob and Mollie came to be known as "Mama and Papa Rich." The tradition of care continues through the Mollie S. and Dr. Robert C. Rich Legacy Endowed Scholarship, made possible through the generosity of alumna Linda Edwards '78, with continuing donations from family, friends, and former students. The scholarship is given to a voice student in performance or music education to assist them in their continued study at Stetson.
Recipient: Emy Acosta
Merridy Williams Memorial Endowed Flute Scholarship
The Merridy Williams Memorial Endowed Flute Scholarship was established at Stetson University in 1980. Merridy's dream was to be a professional flutist. In 1978, she enrolled in the Stetson School of Music to study flute with Geoffrey Gilbert, formerly principal flutist with the London Symphony Orchestra. After a four-year battle with leukemia, she passed away in September 1980, and a flute scholarship was established at Stetson University in her memory. The scholarship honors a flute student with outstanding musicianship, academic ability and financial need.
Recipient: Victoria Camponsano Reyes
Lynn Ann Musco Endowed Scholarship
The Lynn Ann Musco Endowed Scholarship was created to honor the work of Dr. Lynn Musco, professor of clarinet at Stetson University since 1988. The scholarship was initiated by Dr. Musco's parents, Lewis and Geraldine Schmidt, and endowed through personal gifts from friends, family and alumni. The scholarship is awarded to an outstanding clarinetist who demonstrates high leadership and academic skills and contributes positively to the general welfare of the School of Music.
Recipient: Tyler Metzler
Lewis and Geraldine Schmidt and Charles and Irma Fix Scholarship
This annual scholarship started soon after Dr. Lynn Musco joined the faculty as the clarinet professor in an effort by the Schmidt and Fix couples to help support clarinet students or students participating in the clarinet studio who show strong work ethic, dedication to the study of music and outstanding contribution to the Stetson School of Music. Dr and Mrs. Schmidt are the late parents of Dr. Musco; Dr. and Mrs. Fix were longtime family friends of the Schmidts and ardent supporters of the Stetson School of Music as Friends of Music contributors. Since the passing of both Dr. and Mrs. Schmidt and Dr. and Mrs. Fix, this scholarship is funded and maintained by Dr. Lynn and Mr. Enrico Musco and contributions from friends, family and alumni. The purpose of the Lewis and Geraldine Schmidt and Charles and Irma Fix Scholarship is to honor the outstanding work ethic of a junior or senior student enrolled in Applied Clarinet who is active in the School of Music programs.
Recipient: Nathan Esquenazi
The Dr. Michael Rickman Legacy Award Scholarship
The Dr Michael Rickman Legacy Award Scholarship has been established by the family, friends and former students of Michael Rickman to acknowledge the many contributions he made to teaching and artistry at Stetson over his long and distinguished career as professor of piano.
Recipient: David Gonzalez
Bobby L. Adams Endowed Scholarship
Dr. Adams served as director of bands and professor of music education from 1987 until his retirement in 2012. The purpose of this scholarship is to provide a merit-based award for a rising senior who is pursuing a Bachelor of Music Education degree in instrumental music. To be considered, students must have maintained a minimum GPA requirement; demonstrated leadership, service, and commitment to the Music Education program; and have the goal of becoming a band director.
Recipient: Charles Gavin McNabb
The Bingham Vick Student Choral Conductor Endowed Award
The Bingham Vick Student Choral Conductor Endowed Award was established to recognize and encourage rising junior or senior student conductors and members of Stetson University Concert Choir with preference to music majors aspiring to achieve a career in choral conducting.
Recipients: Elliott Steward, Phia Maritz
The Rutan-Smith Music Award
The Rutan-Smith Music Award provides an award annually to help a student offset the expense of purchasing a professional-level brass instrument which, in turn, will help them more fully develop their musical potential. The Rutan and Smith families have a strong musical history and a belief in the importance of high-quality music education in the life of our youth. The families also have close ties with Stetson University (Scott '62 Jane Rutan '62, and Carol Rutan Smith '66). Recipients have no obligation to repay this gift, but they are encouraged to "pay it forward" in the future, when financially able, to make a similar annual gift to the School of Music.
Recipient: Grey Justice
Robert E. Fort Memorial Scholarship
The Robert E. Fort Memorial Scholarship was established in 2018 by the family, friends and former students of Bob Fort to acknowledge the many contributions he made to the teaching of music and music theory at Stetson over his long and distinguished career. This scholarship is awarded to a student majoring in music theory, or a student who shows exceptional scholarship and dedication to the field of music theory.
Recipient: Victoria Camposano Reyes
Doris Williams Davis and William McClure Davis Endowed Award
The Doris William Davis and William McClure Davis Award was established in their honor by their daughter Lynda Davis Wilson '70 to recognize a senior female voice major who has overcome some adversity to complete a Stetson education, and who works cooperatively with students and faculty, and is achieving success as a scholar and musician.
Recipient: Tajah Garrett
Jane Fowler Christeson Legacy Endowed Award
The Jane Fowler Christeson Legacy scholarship is awarded to annually assist a junior voice major (performance or education) who has a strong interest in Song Literature. The scholarship is to be awarded for their senior year in the School of Music. Eligibility criteria is based on talent and ability of the student.
Recipient: Emma Floyd
Business School Foundation James H. Maury, Jr. Memorial Scholarships
These scholarships, awarded to students in arts and sciences, business, and music, are funded by an endowment established through the Stetson Business School Foundation by the late James Maury, Jr., a 1979 Stetson business graduate. The recipients are rising seniors and are selected based on their academic achievements.
Recipients: Jack Lisenby, Aine Mullen
Concerto Competition Winners
The School of Music sponsors an annual concerto competition open to junior and senior music majors. Selected by a panel of independent professional judges, the winners perform with the University Orchestra in its fall concert. Learn more about Music Competitions at Stetson University.
Recipients: Katarina Nieminen, Tiancheng Jin
Giffin Competition Winners
A long-standing recognition of the choral and vocal legacy of Professor Emeritus Harold “Prof” Giffin, who taught at Stetson University for 39 years, the Giffin Vocal Competition is judged by external adjudicators and is open to juniors in the School of Music. The winners receives an award.
Winner: Emy Acosta
1st Runner Up: Kenneth Browning
2nd Runner Up: Emma Floyd
Neil and Dolly Huhta Winners
The Neil and Dolly Huhta Instrumental Competition is judged by external adjudicators and is open to all enrolled Stetson University instrumental music majors, including string, guitar, woodwind, brass, percussion, and keyboard instruments. The winners receives an award.
Winner: Zachary Frankowiak
1st Runner Up: Donald Valencia
2nd Runner Up: Ian Owens
Community School Awards
The School of Music Community Outreach Director and the faculty recognize a student’s outstanding performance as a private lesson instructor, and their exceptional efforts to enrich their students’ lives and connect with our greater community.
Recipients: Elizabeth Langston, Demetrius Galindez