CSI President Announces New Full Tuition Music Scholarship
April 15, 2008
Exceptional music students now have an opportunity to receive free
tuition at the College of Staten Island, thanks to a new music
scholarship funded through the generosity of former CSI Dean and
English Professor Dr. Michael Shugrue. CSI President Tomás Morales announced the new award
at a reception prior to a performance of Spectrum Concerts Berlin,
which was made possible by the Shugrue Cultural Development Fund.
As Morales discussed this new opportunity for music students to receive
instruction from the College’s world-class music faculty, he
appealed to directors of high school music programs in the audience.
“I am asking you, in particular, to partner with us and think about
the students you have now who could benefit from such a scholarship
in the future. I believe that CSI’s Music Program will give any of
the programs in the area a run for its money, and we’re putting up
the money to prove it.”
Morales also announced the first recipient of the scholarship,
Gerald Gallardo. Gallardo is a junior Music major at CSI, studying
composition with Prof. David Keberle and violin with Prof. Olivier
Fluchaire. He is first violinist in the CSI student string quartet
and he plays in the Hunter Symphony Orchestra. A Dean’s List
student, he has earned a 3.62 GPA. Gallardo serves the College as a
technical and teaching assistant in CSI’s Digital Music Laboratory
and he is also a private instructor of piano and violin.
Commenting later on his experience in the CSI Music Department,
Gallardo said, “CSI's Music Program is extremely special – it’s like
a village where everyone knows each other and supports each other.
No matter what time of day it is, when you pass through the music
hallway, you will always run into a familiar face. During the
semesters that I have studied music at CSI, I have acquired many
skills and tools to become a better performing violinist, a much
more knowledgeable music instructor and a deeper, more thoughtful
composer.” Gallardo also thanks the Music faculty for their
contributions. “All of the professors in the Music Department are
extremely talented, very smart, and very helpful. They never allow
any students to be in the darkness. I sincerely thank each and every
one of them for guiding me on the right path to becoming a better
musician.”
Near the end of his remarks, Morales underscored the importance of
partnerships between CSI and the community, such as the one between
the College and Dr. Shugrue, which ensures that students and Borough
residents have free access to performances by some of the world’s
best musicians. Morales also called on members of the audience to form
similar relationships with CSI to improve life on the Island.
