International opera star Kristin Lewis establishes new scholarship for Arkansas vocal students
Benefit concert to be held Dec. 7, 2014 at Second Presbyterian Church of Little Rock
Scholarship applications due Feb. 4, 2015; auditions scheduled in March at UCA
LITTLE ROCK, AR — Kristin Lewis, former resident of Little Rock and a University of Central Arkansas graduate, returns home this December to announce the establishment of a new scholarship for emerging Arkansas vocalists.
The Kristin Lewis Foundation Vocal Scholarship will benefit Arkansans between the ages of 18 and 23 who are pursuing a degree in vocal performance or a music education or BA degree with an emphasis in voice. The scholarship will fund tuition expenses, master class participation, and opportunities for national or international exposure for Arkansas singers studying both inside and outside the state.
Application materials are due Wednesday, February 4, 2015. Fifteen singers from among the applicants will be invited to participate in the second phase of the scholarship competition, a live audition and training program to be held at the University of Central Arkansas on March 28 and 29, 2015. The audition phase of the Kristin Lewis Scholarship competition is partly funded by a $3000 grant from the UCA Foundation.
On Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014 at 4 p.m., in conjunction with the announcement of her vocal scholarship, Ms. Lewis will perform in an Advent celebration concert with the Adult Choir of Second Presbyterian Church of Little Rock at 600 Pleasant Valley Drive. The concert is sponsored by Praeclara, Second Presbyterian’s newly formed performing arts organization, under the direction of Praeclara’s artistic director Bevan Keating.
Tickets are not required for admission to the benefit concert, and the general public is invited. Members of the audience are welcome to make donations to the Kristin Lewis Foundation Vocal Scholarship Fund by contacting one of the foundation’s board members at the event.
Lewis is excited to give back to the Arkansas communities that gave her a start in her own musical career. “The purpose of my foundation is to encourage Arkansas music students at all levels to pursue their education and enable them to receive the inspiration and guidance they need to achieve their dreams,” she said.
Lewis, a lyrico-spinto soprano lauded for her interpretations of Verdi heroines, is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas. Formerly a section leader in the choir at Second Presbyterian Church of Little Rock, she began her vocal studies at the University of Central Arkansas under the guidance of Dr. Martha Antolik. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree, she continued with her Master of Music studies at the University of Tennessee. She now resides in Vienna, Austria, where she regularly appears on some of the world’s greatest opera stages in performances of Aida, Il Trovatore, I due Foscari, Turandot, Don Giovanni, and more.
For more information, contact the Kristin Lewis Foundation at kristinlewisfoundation@gmail.com
Visit the Foundation’s scholarship website at http://www.kristin-lewis.com/klf/
Visit Praeclara’s website at http://www.praeclara.org
