The Charlotte Barbini Legacy in Arts Management Award

The Charlotte Barbini Legacy in Arts Management Award will be granted to a student who is currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student in an instrumental music degree program at an accredited Texas university.

The scholarship is in the amount of $2,000.

Are you interested in support the Scholarship? You can donate here.

The Charlotte Barbini Legacy in Arts Management Award honors the vision, passion, and dedication of Charlotte Barbini, a champion for the arts and tireless advocate for strong, community-rooted leadership within arts organizations.

This scholarship supports students in Texas who are pursuing instrumental music studies while also demonstrating a clear interest in the field of arts management and administration. Created to encourage the next generation of musicians who not only perform but also aspire to shape the future of the arts, this award reflects Charlotte’s deep belief that sustainable, inspiring arts organizations are built through capable leadership, creative thinking, and a commitment to community.

By empowering students who are equally passionate about performance and organizational leadership, this initiative aims to cultivate future conductors, executive directors, artistic planners, and cultural entrepreneurs—individuals who understand the unique challenges facing orchestras and arts institutions, and who are ready to lead them into a vibrant future.

Through this award, we invest in those who will carry forward the legacy of arts advocacy, operational excellence, and creative vision that Charlotte so powerfully embodied. 

Application Criteria for Scholarship Applicants

To be eligible, applicants must:

1. Be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student in an instrumental music degree program at an accredited Texas university.
2. Be pursuing either a BA or BM in a music concentration degree plan
3. Be concurrently pursuing the Minor in Arts Management and Administration offered through the College of Fine Arts.
4. Demonstrate interest in arts management, leadership, or administration through extracurricular involvement, internships, or work experience.
5. Show academic excellence, maintaining a minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
6. Submit a written essay (750–1,000 words) on one of the following topics:
• The role of arts administration in sustaining and growing classical music organizations.
• How their leadership or advocacy experience has prepared them for a future in arts management.
• A vision for the future of orchestras and classical music organizations in engaging modern audiences.
7. Provide two letters of recommendation from professors, mentors, or professionals in music or arts management.
8. Submit a résumé detailing musical and leadership experiences, including ensemble participation, internships, arts administration experience, and relevant coursework.

Participate in a brief interview (if selected as a finalist) with the selection committee to discuss their leadership aspirations in arts management.