MFH Scholarship Winners
2026 Winners
On Saturday, July 18, 2026, Music for Humanity awarded $26,000 in music scholarships to eleven outstanding artists selected from 51 applicants. This brings our Grand Total to an incredible $233,000 awarded through 89 music scholarships.
Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who has donated their time, talent, and financial support over the past two decades to make these scholarships possible.
As you’ll discover below, these recipients represent an extraordinary diversity of musical talent. They are more than exceptional musicians—they are Music Ambassadors, building the invisible roads and bridges that connect our hearts and souls through music.
Together, let’s make 2027 the year that every qualified applicant receives a Music for Humanity scholarship.
“More Music Means a Better World for All of Us.”
Receive Instant Good Karma… Help Us Give Every Qualified Applicant a Scholarship in 2027.
Wei-Ning Ko
Grand Scholarship Winner – $10,000 from Irvine California attending Rice University as a Freshman.
Mejedi Owusu
Runner Up – $5,000 goes to Mejedi Owusu from the United Kingdom who is currently attending the Juilliard School as a Junior.
Thiago Kenzo Zaha
Third Place – $3000 goes to Thiago Kenzo Zaha from Brazil attending Berklee College of Music as a Sophomore.
Allison Lee
Honorable Mention – $1,000 to Allison Lee from Vancouver Canada attending The Juilliard School as a Junior.
Katherine Chernyak
Honorable Mention – $1000 to Katherine Chernyak from Saugerties, NY attending The Juilliard School, postgraduate.
Lucy Chugh
Honorable Mention – $1,000 goes to Lucy Chugh from East Amherst, NY attending the University of Michigan, Postgraduate.
Zoe Marinakos
Honorable Mention – $1,000 to Zoe Marinakos from Philadelphia, PA attending Temple University, Postgraduate.
Renee Yadav
Honorable Mention – $1,000 to Renee Yadav from Singapore attending The Juilliard School as a Sophomore.
Grace Concepcion
Honorable Mention – $1,000 goes to Grace Concepcion from Hopewell Junction, NY attending Western Connecticut State University as a Senior.
Rachel Parks
Honorable Mention – $1,000 to Rachel Parks from Dayton, OH attending Ohio State University, Postgraduate.
Yaffa Ovsishcher
Honorable Mention – $1,000 to Yaffa Ovsishcher from Brooklyn, NY attending San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Postgraduate.
Special thanks to our Scholarship Committee below:
2025 Winners
On Saturday July 19, 2025 we awarded another $20,000 in music scholarships bringing our grand total to $207,000 and 78 music scholarships. Thanks to all the people who have donated time, talent & money to make these scholarships possible. “More Music Means a Better World for All of Us”. Our scholarship winners are more than just excellent musicians. They are “Music Ambassadors” who are building the invisible roads & bridges that connect our hearts & souls via music. Let’s work together to give everyone who applies in 2026 a scholarship.
Desmond Mulready
Grand Scholarship Winner – $10,000 Grand Scholarship in Honor of Michael Pantaleo goes to Desmond Mulready from Kingston NY. He is graduating from Kingston High School and will be a freshman at Eastman School of Music.
Mejedi Owusu
Runner Up – $5,000 goes to Mejedi Owusu from the United Kingdom who is currently attending the Juilliard School and will be a sophomore in fall 2025.
Gabriel Ramos
Honorable Mention – $1,250 goes to Gabriel Ramos from Harriman NY who is graduating from Monroe Woodbury High School and will be a freshman at Ithaca College.
Rachel Schlesinger
Honorable Mention – $1,250 to Rachel Schlesinger from Long Island NY who will be a graduate student at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Ezra Woods
Honorable Mention – $1,250 to Ezra Woods from New Albany, IN who will be a freshman at Lipscomb University in Nashville TN.
Hasan Imam Hamdani
Honorable Mention – $1,250 goes to Hasan Imam Hamdani from Baltimore Maryland who is a post graduate student at the New England Conservatory of Music.
Special thanks to our Scholarship Committee below:
2024 Winners
On Saturday July 20, 2024 we awarded another $20,000 in music scholarships bringing our grand total to $187,000 and 72 music scholarships. We were forced, because of limited funding, to select 6 recipients out of 36 deserving applicants. Thanks to all the people who have donated time, talent & money to make these scholarships possible. “More Music Means a Better World for All of Us”. Our scholarship winners are more than just excellent musicians. They are “Music Ambassadors” who are building the invisible roads & bridges that connect our hearts & souls via music. Let’s work together to give everyone who applies in 2025 a scholarship.
Special thanks to our Scholarship Committee below:
2023 Winners
On Saturday July 15, 2023 we awarded another $16,000 in music scholarships bringing our grand total to $167,000 and 66 music scholarships. We were forced, because of limited funding, to select 5 scholarship winners out of 24 deserving applicants. Thanks to all the people who have donated time, talent & money to make these scholarships possible. “More Music Means a Better World for All of Us”.
Simon Buerki
Grand Scholarship Winner – $7500 goes to Simon Buerki pictured above. Simon is a pianist, originally from St. Gallen, Switzerland. He is a senior attending Juilliard in New York, NY. Here’s his website: https://simonbuerki.com
Natalie Corrigan
Runner-up – $4000 goes to Natalie Corrigan. Natalie is a mezzo-soprano from Cincinnati and is attending the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Here’s one of the videos she submitted on her application:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7C1nC22wXQ
Rachel Schlesinger
MFH David Crystal Scholarship – $2500 goes to Rachel Schlesinger. Rachel is a soprano, from Long Island. She is attending the NY State Conservatory of Music at Purchase College. Here’s one of her videos she submitted on her application: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKQSnUt-O_A
Bethany Bobbs
Honorable Mention – $1000 goes to Bethany Bobbs cellist. Bethany is from New Jersey and is an undergraduate at Juilliard. Here’s the video she submitted with her application:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41yDI0Gqbb4
Tianxiang Ni
Honorable Mention – $1000 to Tianxiang Ni, pianist from China, who will be a freshman at Bard Conservatory of Music. Here’s the video she submitted with her application: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEIvjd7fZwQ
2022 Winners
On Saturday July 16, 2022 we awarded another $16,000 in music scholarships to the following outstanding young musicians bringing our grand total to $151,000 in 61 music scholarships. Thanks to all the people who have donated time, talent & money to make these scholarships possible. “More Music Means a Better World for All of Us”
Raquel Nisi
Grand Scholarship Winner – $7500 goes to Raquel Nisi, harpist, (pictured above) from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She will be attending Juilliard in New York as a freshman. Here’s her performance.
Simon Buerki
Runner-up – $4000 goes to Simon Buerki, pianist, originally from St. Gallen, Switzerland. He will be attending Juilliard in New York, NY as a senior. Here’s his website: SimonBuerki.com
Riley Brutvan
MFH Ron Renninger Scholarship – $2500 goes to Riley Brutvan, guitarist, from Gardiner NY. He will be attending the University of Hartford in Hartford, CT. Here’s his performance.
Honorable Mention – $1000 goes to Timothy Leonard, bassist, from Warwick NY. He will be attending William Paterson University in Wayne NJ. Here’s his performance.
Hyojin Ellen Kim
Honorable Mention – $1000 to Hyojin Ellen Kim, violinist, originally from Korea. She will be completing her Masters at Juilliard in New York, NY. Here’s her performance.
2021 Winners
On Sunday, June 13,2021 we awarded another $15,000 in music scholarships to the following outstanding young musicians bringing our grand total to $135,000 in music scholarships. Thanks to all the people who have donated time, talent & money to make these scholarships possible. “More Music Means a Better World for All of Us.”
2020 Winners
On Saturday, July 18, 2020 we awarded $20,000 in music scholarships to the following outstanding young musicians:
