Fulbright Program Taps CCM Students to Study Abroad

College-Conservatory of Music students from the University of Cincinnati,

Melanie Lahti

and

Blake Richardson

, are to receive the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship for the 2009-2010 school year. The Fulbright Scholarship is an award sponsored by the U.S. government for selected students to travel abroad. The Fulbright Program awards approximately 7,500 new grants worldwide each year. The award was set up by the government to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.”

Understanding other countries is one of the main reasons that Blake Richardson, who is pursuing his doctorate in orchestral conducting at CCM, wants to travel abroad.

“As a classical musician, I feel it is very important to gain as many different perspectives from which to approach your work,” said Richardson, 28, who will be traveling to Barcelona to work with the Gran Teatro del Liceu opera house. “I am truly excited about moving to Europe and seeing the different ways each musician I encounter relates to music.”

Melanie Lahti, 24, currently studying for her masters in clarinet, is also looking forward to learning about new cultures when she studies abroad at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland.

“I intend to extend my studies beyond the walls of the Sibelius Academy and completely immerse myself in the musical culture of the city of Helsinki,” said Lahti. “There is a vast and diverse offering of classical music performances in Helsinki, and I will attend as many concerts as I can in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of Finnish audience engagement practices, particularly in the new music arena.”

Fulbright winners are selected on their academic or professional achievement and their potential to be extraordinary leaders. Just as winners exhibit extraordinary dedication to their studies within CCM, they are expected to continue this level of commitment as they travel overseas.

“My studies will deal with the ‘non-conducting’ aspects of conducting opera,” said Richardson of his Fulbright-related education, “including issues of performance history, broadening my understanding of the repertoire, studying issues of lyric diction and vocal technique, and gaining an overall perspective of the work necessary to make an operatic production stage-ready. I will be working closely with Sr. Jaume Tribó, who holds the position of Maestro Suggeritore at the Liceu.”

The Fulbright Scholarship has inspired Lahti to go into the experience with her goals set high and to gain the leadership skills the award was set up to create.

“I plan to volunteer in an administrative capacity at the City of Helsinki Cultural Office in order to get an inside look at the functioning of such a successful performing arts endeavor,” said Lahti, “as well as to make my own contribution to the artistic culture of Helsinki.”

But both scholarship winners agree that there is some fun to be had while studying abroad.

“I look forward to meeting and learning from as many musicians as possible while I am in Spain,” said Richardson of his free time. “Also, two of my other passions, food and architecture are extremely well represented in Barcelona.”

In Finland, Lahti’s downtime will be spent a little more whimsically.

“I am really looking forward to immersing myself in Finnish culture, meaning I would like to spend an excessive amount of time in the sauna,” said Lahti, referring to the country’s widespread enthusiasm for the relaxing pastime. “I want to explore the Lapland region in Northern Finland and see the Northern Lights. I want to learn to conserve water and energy. I want to sleep in a very small IKEA bed in a sparsely furnished apartment. I want to see reindeer and polar bears and maybe even Santa Claus.”

Continued Lahti, “This is a country whose citizens work to live, and I merely want to exist among them and learn as much as I can about how they live, while simultaneously making the most inspired music I possibly can.”

Although both CCM Fulbright Scholars are excited about what is to come, they know that many people helped to get them where they are today and where they are heading tomorrow.

“I am very thankful to my mentor, Professor Mark Gibson, for his help with obtaining this scholarship,” said Richardson. “He was previously head of the music staff at the Gran Teatro del Liceu and was very integral in setting up my contact with the theater.”

Lahti agrees that her UC contacts were instrumental in her Fulbright award. “I would love to thank [CCM professors] Richie Hawley and Sandra Rivers, [conductor] Carl Topilow, [CCM doctoral student pianist] Yu-Wen Yang, and the UC Fulbright Committee for all of their help with my proposal and the application process.”