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A woman in a green dress playing violin and a man playing a piano
THE WALTER AND PEGGY GRAUMAN FELLOWSHIP IN CLASSICAL MUSIC
THE WALTER AND PEGGY GRAUMAN FELLOWSHIP IN CLASSICAL MUSIC
Two men playing a violin
The Walter and peggy Grauman Fellowship in Classical Music


ABOUT THE WALLIS
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is a dynamic cultural hub and community resource where local, national, and international artists share their artistry with ever-expanding audiences. The campus, located in the heart of Beverly Hills, California, is committed to robust and distinctive presentations and education programs curated with both creativity and social impact in mind. You can read more about our mission and core values here. 
 
The Wallis believes everyone deserves to learn and grow through the arts. Thanks to a generous gift from Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family, our campus includes GRoW @ The Wallis, a wing dedicated to sharing the arts with learners of all ages. Arts learning is integral to all that we do at The Wallis: connecting audiences with the very best in the performing arts; using the power of the arts to build community and address pressing social issues; and responding to critical needs in the greater community through arts leadership, collaboration, and partnership. Our GRoW programs serve youth, serious young artists, and older adults online, in our classrooms, and in our theaters.

ABOUT THE GRAUMAN FELLOWSHIP
The Walter and Peggy Grauman Fellowship in Classical Music is made possible by the generosity of performing arts philanthropist and Wallis Ambassador Peggy Parker Grauman and her late husband, Walter Grauman. The Grauman Fellowship in Classical Music, the first-ever fellowship program at The Wallis and the first of its type in Los Angeles County, will provide an annual Fellowship Award of $15,000 to advance the career of an exceptionally talented emerging classical pianist or strings musician based in Los Angeles.

The program is intended to support the Fellow during the transition from formal education and training to the professional music world. The Fellow will have an inside look at how classical music is programmed, how artists are selected, how shows are marketed, and the essential role of philanthropic support. In addition to receiving a $15,000 Fellowship award, the Grauman Fellow will receive mentorship from The Wallis, including live performance opportunities, guidance related to successful auditioning, and the chance to meet with and learn from leading artists. The Fellow will also be supported in developing a community-based outreach project designed to promote awareness and appreciation of classical music in Los Angeles County. This support may  include mentorship, administrative assistance, and funding for the project in addition to the Fellowship award itself.

The Wallis will announce the selection of a Grauman Fellow annually.


ABOUT THE 2023/24 GRAUMAN FELLOW
Kendra Sobania will be performing at the Goldsmith Theater at the Wallis on Sunday, March 3rd, 2024. For additional information about the event or to purchase tickets, please click here. For additional information about the event or to purchase tickets, please click here.

Kendra Sobania is a passionate performer and educator in the Los Angeles area. Originally from Minnesota, she began studying violin at the age of five. Her performances have led her to play around the United States and abroad, including her Carnegie Hall debut in 2021. Other solo performances include appearing as a soloist with the Long Prairie Chamber Orchestra in Long Prairie, MN, and multiple venues throughout the United States, South Korea, and New Zealand. Kendra is fiercely committed to music education and has led numerous educational-outreach performances throughout South Korea, Minnesota and New York. Kendra, a fluent Korean speaker, has toured the United States performing chamber music as part of a team of musicians dedicated to bringing classical music into Korean communities.

Kendra enjoys performing with the Pacific Symphony and sharing her love for music with learners of all ages, maintaining a large private studio in the Los Angeles Area. She has taught solo and chamber music at Interlochen Center for the Arts, and worked with college students as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Southern California. Ms Sobania received her Masters Degree in Violin Performance, studying under Lina Bahn at the University of Southern California and earned her Undergraduate Degree from Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, studying under Renee Jolles. In her spare time, she enjoys going for walks with her Mini Goldendoodle, Harper.

ELIGIBILITY
​​​​​​​Applicants must:
   - Be an early career classical pianist or string musician who will have received their graduate or undergraduate degree between May 2022 and June 2023 from an accredited Los Angeles County college, university, or conservatory.
   - Demonstrate exceptional artistry.
   - Have a distinct interest in community-based projects that expand access to classical music.​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​KEY DATES AND DEADLINES
   - The application deadline to submit is 11:59 PM on April 30, 2024 via Acceptd.
   - In-person auditions will be held in May 2024 in Los Angeles. Applicants MUST be available for the in-person audition.
   - The Fellow will be selected and notified by June 2024.
   - Fellowship begins in the September 2024 and concludes June 30, 2025. 

YOUR APPLICATION
Applicants must submit a general questionnaire form, video auditions, and a community outreach project proposal. View our FAQs below to learn more about creating a project proposal, applying for the program, and the fellowship experience.
 


GRAUMAN FELLOWSHIP FAQs

The Grauman Fellowship in Classical Music, funded by Walter and Peggy Grauman, provides a young classical pianist or strings musician transitioning to the professional world a unique opportunity to develop new skills, understanding, and professional relationships. Aside from professional advancement, the Fellow is provided the opportunity to give back to their community through a Community Outreach Project promoting awareness and accessibility to classical music. The Fellow will be awarded a cash award of $15,000.

The selected Fellow will receive their stipend funds in predetermined installments throughout the course of the Fellowship.

The 2024-2025 Fellowship program is open to early career undergraduate and graduate classical pianists or strings musicians who will have received their degree between May 2023 and June 2024 from an accredited Los Angeles County college, university, or conservatory. 

Applicants are asked to submit a video audition showcasing exceptional talent as a classical pianist or strings musician. In addition to a video audition, applicants are asked to propose a community outreach project designed to promote the understanding, awareness, appreciation, accessibility, and enjoyment of classical music among a broad spectrum of people from young audiences to underrepresented or underserved communities within Los Angeles County.

Applicants will submit the following musical selections. These submissions should not exceed 60 minutes in total. Please include each of the following for your respective instrument.

  1. Johann Sebastian Bach
    • Requirement for strings - Two contrasting movements from an unaccompanied J.S. Bach Sonata, Partita, or Suite.
    • Requirement for piano - One Prelude & Fugue by J.S. Bach from The Well-Tempered Clavier Book I or Book II. 

  2. Second Selection
    • Requirement for strings - One movement from a standard concerto that best displays your musical abilities, technique, and artistry.
    • Requirement for piano - One movement from a standard concerto; or a major classical or romantic solo work that best displays your musical abilities, technique, and artistry.


Applicants will be required to perform two works that contrast greatly in style, mood, and period from each other. One of these selections must be a substantive work or movement by a BIPOC or female composer written after 1975. Applicants may play two new selections, or may repeat one selection that they previously submitted for the video application. Each selection should highlight your musicianship, artistry, and techniques that are unique to each other. Be prepared to share some historical context about the works you have selected, and their personal meaning to you. Applicants may be asked to sight read a short excerpt.

In addition to the technical audition, applicants will be invited to verbally share their passion for classical music and expand on their community outreach proposal.


Applicants will submit a general application form, video auditions, and their community outreach project proposal via The Grauman Fellowship Acceptd Portal. The application window will be from March 3rd - April 30th. 

  • - Applicants will submit the following individual video recordings:
    • 1. Bach 
    • 2. Standard Concerto Movement (or Major Solo Piano Work)
  • - Each musical selection must be completed in one take using one camera. A recent recording from a live recital (within the current academic year) while not preferred, is permitted.
  • - Do not edit within the selection; no effects or post-performance alterations.
  • - No sound enhancements are permitted.
  • - Hands and fingers must be visible at all times.
  • - Your recording device can be a cell phone, tablet, camera, etc. You do not need to use professional level recording equipment. 
  • - Make sure there are 1-3 seconds of silence before the beginning of the selection and at the end of the selection before ending the video recording.
  • - Use a fixed point of view for your camera with you being the main focus. Shoot straight on, leaving the camera in one location. Do not pan or move the camera. The camera should be no closer than waist up.
  • - Ensure recording captures excellent quality image and sound.
  • - Please make sure your music stand is not blocking your hands or the view from seeing you as specified above.
  • - Check that the acoustics in the room are suitable for a recording. Practice your selection in the space prior to recording. Ensure there is no noise coming from other rooms near you as you record.
  • - If recording with a tablet or cell phone, use the landscape/horizontal mode for best results.

There is an application fee of $35 dollars which is due at the time of submission.

  • - Application due by 11:59 PM on April 30, 2024 via Acceptd
  • - In-person auditions will be held May 2024 in Los Angeles (TBD). Applicants MUST be available for the in-person audition, no exceptions.
  • - Fellow selected by June 2024.
  • - Fellowship begins September 2024.
  • - Fellowship concludes June 30, 2025.

The panel of judges includes representatives from The Wallis, Grauman representatives, and acclaimed musical professionals.

From September 2024 through June 2025 the Fellow will be exposed to career-advancing experiences such as professional performances and networking opportunities with Wallis staff, visiting artists, and outside mentors. The Wallis will serve as a home base, additionally providing guidance and support through the implementation of the Fellow’s Community Outreach Project.

Through this program, the Fellow will: gain an understanding of the key roles of a performing arts presenter including artistic planning, education, outreach, production, marketing, and fundraising; be given career guidance and means of networking and self-promotion; receive coaching and strategies for successful submissions and auditions; select and sequence musical selections for successful recitals and repertoires; and perform publicly for live audiences.

To administer the Fellow’s Community Outreach Project, The Wallis will provide a modest but flexible and appropriate budget to finance direct program expenses. This amount is not extracted from the $15,000 Fellowship Award. In conjunction with the expense fund, the Grauman Fellow will have access to a vast network of mentorship, guidance, and resources through interactions with The Wallis Staff, visiting artists, and outside mentors drawn from The Wallis’ extended professional contacts and affiliations. 

Applicants should identify the goals and objectives of their program, and build a proposal that includes the tasks, timelines, materials, and support they will need to achieve them. A template will be included in the Acceptd application.

Applicants may draw inspiration from the musicians and program resources listed below. Applicants should focus on the personal journey, passion, inspiration, and meaning behind their respective community outreach projects. How did these musicians utilize their privilege and resources to bridge the gap between themselves and their communities? See examples below:

Applicants will respond to each question in short answer format.

  1. Briefly describe your project.
  2. What you already know about the community you want to work with? How will you include this community in the design of your project? What do you hope to learn about this community through your project?
  3. Describe how your program will cultivate this community’s accessibility, awareness, and appreciation for classical music.
  4. Present the relevance and desired impact of the proposed project. What are some realistic objectives? How will you engage the community, creating a comfortable space in which to listen, communicate, and learn about classical music? How or what will they learn about classical music?
  5. What does success mean for your project? What are ways you expect to measure the ongoing success of your project and the experience for your participants?
  6. Why do you feel The Wallis is the best organization to support your outreach initiative?

For questions or for additional information about The Fellowship, please contact Michelle Rearick at mrearick@thewallis.org.


​​​​​​​ Pictured above, artists performing at The Wallis: Sarah Chang, Harlem Quartet, Joshua Roman and Conor Hanick, Brooklyn Rider.