Grants and Prizes

The Pomona College Department of Music annually offers a number of grants and prizes to students based upon academic and musical excellence. Grant applications can be accessed below. Recent grant and prize recipients are listed after the grant/prize descriptions. Here is a listing of all previous recipients.

Grants

The Barbara B. Smith ’42 Grant
This grant is made possible through a trust created by Pomona Music major Barbara B. Smith (1920-2021). One of the early members of the Society for Ethnomusicology, Dr. Smith went on to establish non-Western music in the curriculum at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and to mentor generations of scholars and world music educators. The grant is intended to support opportunities for experiencing off-campus instruction, workshops, and conferences in ethnomusicology and/or opportunities involving direct contact with non-Western music in settings beyond the college classroom. The grant may be awarded to one or more students annually, through application. Recent recipients of the Smith Grant

The Bertha Clendenen McCord Memorial Grant
The Nancy Gordon Elliott ’46 and E. Roy Lindstrom Memorial Grant
Annual grants, awarded to one or more especially promising student musicians, preferably music majors, to provide added enrichment by helping support their participation in summer music programs before graduation. Undergraduate students from any of The Claremont Colleges who are active participants in the program offered by the Pomona College Music Department are eligible to apply. The McCord Grants have been awarded since 1981 in memory of a distinguished pianist and critic. The Elliott-Lindstrom Grants, named for alumna Nancy Elliott and her husband E. Roy Lindstrom, have been awarded since 2019. Both require student applications. Recent recipients of the McCord Memorial Grant and the Elliott-Lindstrom Memorial Grant

Polk Memorial Award
Audition-based award: application required. (See description below.)

Prizes

The Barbara Sanford Allen Prize
The oldest prize offered by the Department of Music; this prize has been awarded annually since 1926 to an outstanding student above first-year rank. The award was established by the husband and parents of Barbara Sanford Allen (Class of 1915), a talented pianist who died in 1924. Recent recipients of the Allen Prize

The William G. Blanchard Memorial Prize
This annual prize has been awarded since 1981 to an outstanding student musician, preferably in organ, orchestration, or composition. Established in memory of William G. Blanchard, Professor of Music and College Organist from 1936 to 1971, by his family and many friends. Recent recipients of the Blanchard Memorial Prize

The Margery Smith Briggs Prize
Since 2016, this annual prize has been awarded to one or more graduating seniors who have been particularly distinctive in their overall contribution to and performance in the Music Department.  Professor Briggs taught voice and music theory at Pomona College from 1943 to 1980. Established in 1992 by Susan Blaustein Berlow in honor of Professor Karl Kohn, who designated the prize in 2016 in honor of his longtime colleague. Recent recipients of the Briggs Prize

The Philip Goldberg Memorial Prize
Awarded annually since 1976 to a Pomona student, preferably a senior string player, for outstanding instrumental performance. The prize was created in memory of the dedicated violist and teacher whose service on the faculty was cut short by his untimely death. Recent recipients of the Goldberg Memorial Prize

The Katherine J. Hagedorn Prize
Established in 2022, this prize is awarded annually to one or more students for exceptional loyalty and dedication to their music studies. It is named in honor of Katherine J. Hagedorn, Professor of Music from 1993 to 2013, whose work as a scholar and performer enriched and expanded the musical experiences of students in Pomona College’s Music Department, non-majors and majors alike. Recent recipients of the Hagedorn Prize

The Gordon A. Hogan Memorial Prize
Since 1973, this annual prize has been awarded to an organ student, preferably a senior, or to a student of guitar, voice, or composition. Established through the efforts of William G. Blanchard, Professor of Music and College Organist from 1936 to 1971, in memory of Gordon A Hogan ’49. Recent recipients of the Hogan Memorial Prize

 

The Rudolph Polk Memorial Award
Established in 1958 by friends and colleagues of Rudolph Polk, this award is given to a student in instrumental music (violin, viola, cello, or piano) on the basis of an audition assessing technical competence, musicianship, and general musical background. Students of any of The Claremont Colleges are eligible to apply for the audition. Two awards are presented annually: one has been awarded to a graduate student since 2003, and one to an undergraduate since 1958. The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS), through an intercollegiate faculty committee, administers the program. Recent recipients of the Polk Memorial Award

The William F. Russell Prize
Since 1993 this annual prize has been awarded to one or more prospective music majors who in the early stages of their undergraduate careers show substantial accomplishment and significant promise in their study of music. Professor Russell conducted the Pomona College Choir, Glee Clubs and Band from 1951 to 1982, and from 1953 was also Chair of the Music Department. Established in 1992 by Susan Blaustein Berlow in honor of Professor Karl Kohn, who designated the prize in honor of his longtime colleague. Recent recipients of the Russell Prize

The Cecil H. Short Memorial Prize
Established in memory of the piano technician who maintained the Pomona College pianos for 50 years, this fund has enabled the Department of Music to recognize one of more graduating seniors since 1964 who have been outstanding in service and performance. Recent recipients of the Short Memorial Prize


Grant and Prize Recipients for the Past Five Years

 

Barbara Sanford Allen Prize (Awarded since 1926)
2024.........not awarded
2023.........Willa Albrecht
2022.........Andrew Zhao
2021.........Aleja Hertzler-McCain, Emma van der Veen
2020.........Andrew Zhao

 

William G. Blanchard Memorial Prize (Awarded since 1981)
2024......... Stephanie Northrop, Meadow Jones (SC)
2023......... Megan Chang, Millie Mince
2022......... Katherine Burgstahler, Anna Sipowicz, Sara Uehara
2021......... not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020......... Samuel Betanzos, Oliver Dubon, Zachary Freiman

 

Margery Smith Briggs Prize (Awarded since 2016)
2024......... Riley Elliott, Catie Kaneshiro, Martin Susanto (HM), Ava Tiller
2023......... Hannah Caris, Victor Chai, Peter Hodge, Prakod Ngamlamai (HMC), Dylan Yin
2022......... Becca Blyn (HMC), Hana Burgess (SC), Erin Tallman
2021......... Adam Dvorak
2020......... Michael Alvis, Caleb Caton, Brittany Chen, Riley Fang,
                  Micayla George, Nia Hartojo, Jordan Huard

 

Philip Goldberg Memorial Prize (Awarded since 1976)
2024......... Ethan Lee
2023......... Charlie Yun
2022......... Eric Zhu
2021......... not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020......... Andrew Acs

 

Katherine J. Hagedorn Prize (Awarded since 2022)
2024......... Mateo Thacher
2023......... Rosy Falzon
2022......... Ilana Shapiro

 

Gordon A. Hogan Memorial Prize (Awarded since 1973)
2024......... not awarded
2023......... Annika Hoseth
2022......... Jack Szulc-Donnell
2021......... Cherise Higgins
2020......... Matthew Brown, Matthew Cook

 

Bertha Clendenen McCord Memorial Grant (Awarded since 1981)
Nancy Gordon Elliott ’46 and E. Roy Lindstrom Memorial Grant (Awarded since 2019)
2024......... not awarded
2023......... Willa Albrecht
2022......... Rosy Falzon
2021......... not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020......... Lucy Geller, Hana Burgess (SCR), Jenny Johnston (SCR)

 

Rudolph Polk Memorial Undergraduate Award (Awarded since 1958)
2024......... Matthew Chang, violin
2023......... Millie Mince, piano
2022......... Megan Chang, violin
2021......... not awarded
2020......... auditions canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic

Rudolph Polk Memorial Graduate Award (Awarded since 2003)
2024......... not awarded
2023......... not awarded
2022......... Ying Han (CGU), piano
2021......... Esther Back (CGU), cello and baroque cello 
                  Honorable Mention: Siqi Sun (CGU), piano and fortepiano 
2020......... auditions canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic

 

William F. Russell Prize (Awarded since 1993)
2024......... Ian Tam
2023......... not awarded
2022......... not awarded 
2021......... not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020......... Ilana Shapiro, Sara Uehara

 

Cecil H. Short Memorial Prize (Awarded since 1964)
2024......... Noah Benjamin, Louis Burns, Caroline Hardy, AJ Joo, Catie McIntyre, Caroline Porkert
2023......... Maya Goodwin (PZ), Se Ho Kwak, Elizabeth Lucas-Foley (HMC), Daniela Pierro, Ian Shors (HMC), Abby Smith, Josh Suh, Sarah Wang, Annamarie Wire, Molly Wu
2022......... Jared Allen (HMC), Eric Blair, Kyla Walker, Rafael Porto (HMC), Luis Verdin (CMC)
2021......... Lex Frazier, Lucy Geller, Justine Iwata (SC), Anabel Kubabom, Hannah Lewis (PZ), Shaheed Muhammad
2020......... Anika Arvanitis, Tyler Bunton, Evan Chuu, Ryan Ferdowsian (PZ), Kendal Kipper, Marcus Michel, Aidan Moore

 

Barbara B. Smith ’42 Grant (Awarded since 2022)
2024......... not awarded
2023......... not awarded
2022......... Maya Goodwin (PZ)


School Abbreviations:
CMC – Claremont McKenna College
HMC – Harvey Mudd College
PZ – Pitzer College
SC – Scripps College
CGU – Claremont Graduate University
KI – Keck Graduate Institute

 

Listing of all previous award and grant recipients