Roswell resident, a former voice teacher, endows opera scholarship at Kennesaw State
Contact: Cheryl Anderson Brown, Assistant Director of Public Relations, 770-499-3417 or cbrown@kennesaw.edu
KENNESAW, Ga. (March 2, 2007)—Roswell resident Gretchen E. Van Roy recently endowed a music scholarship at Kennesaw State University to benefit students in the new opera program, which will present its first all-student production, “The Elixir of Love,” March 29-April 2.
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KSU opera students performed a gala concert in December. Their next performance is a full production of Gaetano Donizetti's "The Elixir of Love," March 29-April 2. |
“I am happy to be able to help other aspiring music students on the way,” Van Roy, a retired music teacher, said.
Van Roy’s interest in the music program at Kennesaw State began when the university appointed Dr. Russell Young to head the opera and musical theatre programs in Fall 2005. She had followed his career and that of his wife, vocalist Jana Young, when they were in Miami. They both served on the at University of Miami at Coral Gables and were frequent performers with the major music organizations in the area. The Youngs also have their own trio, the Miami Chamber Ensemble, which is dedicated to the performance of vocal chamber music. Jana Young also now serves on the music at Kennesaw State.
Gretchen Van Roy earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Teachers College at Columbia University and completed significant work toward a doctoral degree at Michigan State University. During her career, she served as a college voice teacher, public school music teacher, church soloist, and children’s choir director. She is a life member and former board member of the National Federation of Music Clubs, having served as president of the Florida Federation of Music and the Miami (Fla.) Music Club. While in school in Michigan and later when teaching for Dade County Public Schools in Miami, she hosted a radio program called “Adventures in Music.” She is also a retired U.S Navy lieutenant-commander and life member of the U.S. Naval Reserve. During World War II, she served as a communications officer in Miami, New York and Washington, D.C.
Van Roy previously has endowed scholarships with the music fraternity Alpha Chi Omega in honor of her mother; at Hope College in Michigan in honor of her father; and with the National Federation of Music Clubs. The Gretchen E. Van Roy Music Scholarship is her first endowment at Kennesaw State.
Endowed scholarships are long-term investments to help secure the future success and quality of music majors. To establish a new endowment at Kennesaw State, the minimum funding level is $20,000, sometimes payable over a period of years.
“We are deeply honored by Gretchen Van Roy’s generous support of our new opera program,” said Joseph Meeks, dean of the College of the Arts at Kennesaw State. “She has played a very active role in the National Federation of Music Clubs, which has a long tradition of nurturing and supporting young artists. We are pleased that she is continuing that tradition by supporting the student musicians at Kennesaw State.”
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A member of the 35-unit University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State University is a comprehensive‚ residential institution with a growing student population approaching 20‚000 from 132 countries. The third largest state university in Georgia‚ Kennesaw State offers more than 60 graduate and undergraduate degrees‚ including a new Doctorate of Education in Leadership.
The KSU College of the Arts is one of only four Georgia institutions to have achieved full national accreditation for all of its arts programs.