BURSARIES

ANNUAL MUSIC BURSARIES

St. Columba offers annually three $500 music bursaries to Secondary 5 students who have been accepted into a CEGEP music program or its equivalent. The deadline for receiving  applications is May 1st. The music bursaries are made possible by a generous donation from the Mary and Peter Hobley Memorial Fund of the Community Foundation of Monterey. For more information about the music bursary application, please contact the music director Michael McAuley at michael@stcolumba.ca

 

Past Bursary Recipients:

Sabrina Banach, recipient of a Hobley music bursary in 2022:

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank St. Columba for awarding me a Mary and Peter Hobley Memorial bursary. I used my bursary money to provide my flute with the regular maintenance it needs to allow me to play my best. I will be entering my second year at Vanier innthe Music and Social Science Double DEC program.”

Sabrina was a flute student of Sylvia Niedzwiecka at St. Columba and a piano student of Michael McAuley.
 
Mia-Lin Gromko, a Hobley music bursary recipient in 2022: 
“As a graduating student at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the Mary and Peter Hobley Memorial Fund. This financial assistance helped subsidize my tuition, which allowed me to focus on my studies while being less worried about the costs associated with attending Marianopolis College before University. All in all, this generous contribution helped me achieve my musical goals.”
 
Mia-Lin Gromko graduated this year from McGill with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance (saxophone) and was recently awarded the Governor General’s Silver Medal for having the highest academic standing in a Bachelor program at McGill University. Only 2 Silver Medals are awarded at McGill each year and Mia-Lin is the first music student to ever receive this honour. Mia-Lin is pursuing a Master’s degree in music and psychology at the Université de Montréal.
 
Mia-Lin studied piano at St. Columba with Michael from age 4 until age 17 when she accomplished her goal of playing her Grade 10 Royal Conservatory piano exam. 
 

Daniel Benedetti was a Hobley music bursary recipient in 2021 and was Michael’s  piano student for many years at St. Columba. 

“I am a Bachelor of Music piano performance student at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, and I’m also pursuing a minor in conducting. In addition, I play accordion and compose and arrange music. I am active as a performer in public and private events, and enjoy playing classical, popular, and world music. The Hobley bursary helped me with purchasing the textbooks and scores I need to pursue my studies at school. I am grateful that young music students are given this financial support.”