scholarship
Melody Claire Hall Voice Scholarship
Melody Claire is the oldest child of Founding Artistic Director Janey Ryan. She was tragically killed in a car accident in 1996 at the age of 16. Melody was a musician – both a singer and flautist – in her high school. Her hobbies included reading, art, and the culinary arts. Her dream was to attend the University of North Texas and become a teacher. Susan Dubois, a chorus member and donor, first funded the scholarship in Melody’s name. Ms. Ryan is humbled and honored to know that Melody will be remembered in this way. 2025 will be the 9th year this scholarship will be awarded to an aspiring musician.
Eligibility, Application, and Timeline
SoCo Women’s Chorus proudly awards an annual $1,500 scholarship to an Austin-area high school senior or college first-year student with a treble voice (soprano or alto). Eligible applicants must be enrolled or planning to enroll in a 2- or 4-year college with a focus on vocal studies. This scholarship reflects our commitment to supporting and promoting vocal music education for treble singers in our community.
See here for the 2025 scholarship announcement.
To Apply:
Read and complete the application form - available as PDF or view-only Google Doc
Provide a written or video recommendation from your voice coach or high school/college music instructor
Prepare a single video file with two songs in varied styles (i.e. opera, art song) and languages
Submit all application materials via email to: julie@socowomenschorus.org
Note: The recipient is expected to perform a song at SoCo Women’s Chorus’s spring concerts on May 17 & 18, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Key Dates:
Application Submission Opens: February 20, 2025
Application Submission Deadline: March 31, 2025, by 11:59pm
Recipient Award Announcement: April 25, 2025
SoCo Women’s Chorus’s Spring Concert Performances: May 17 & 18, 2025
2024 Scholarship recipienT
Congratulations, Abigail Lewis! Abigail is the recipient of the 2024 Melody Claire Hall Voice Scholarship. After graduating from high school, she is pursuing her passion for music through studies in Vocal Performance and Composition at the University of North Texas. You can learn more about Abigail’s musical journey on her website, Instagram and YouTube.
2023 Scholarship recipienT
Congratulations, Sidney Edwards Weaver! Sidney was the recipient of the 2023 Melody Claire Hall Voice Scholarship. After graduating from high school in 2023, she is pursuing her passion for music through studies at the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas.
2022 Scholarship recipienT
Congratulations, Katelyn Segarra! Katelyn was the recipient of the 2022 Melody Claire Hall Voice Scholarship. She is attending Texas State University as a Vocal Performance major. You can read more about her here.
2021 Scholarship recipienT
Congratulations, Sophia Lopez! Sophia was the recipient of the 2021 Melody Claire Hall Voice Scholarship. She attended Texas State University and received a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education.
