TGBP Announces the 2023 Scholarship Winners
The Gena Branscombe Project is proud to announce the three winners of our annual scholarships in conducting, composing, and arts administration. Each recipient was awarded a $400 scholarship and recognition on social media, our website, and in the local press.
Congratulations to all!
Hannah Nacheman | Conductor
The Gena Branscombe Project awards its 2023 Conductor’s Scholarship to Hannah Nacheman. She is a conductor, vocalist, and educator based in New York City. A lifelong musician and arts advocate, Hannah has performed on many prestigious stages including Alice Tully Hall, David Geffen Hall, the David H. Koch Theater of Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall.
Hannah currently serves as Director of Mixed Chorus and Adjunct Professor at St. John’s University, Assistant Conductor to The Choral Society at Grace Church in NY, and Teaching Artist for the VOCESS Foundation. She is one of the co-creators of Girls Who Conduct, a mentorship program for women and non-binary musicians whose mission is to foster diversity and inclusion in classical music. Furthermore, she serves as Guest Faculty for the Juilliard School Preparatory Division and Resident Assistant Conductor for City Lyric Opera. Upcoming engagements also include Conductor of the Mini Masterworks chamber orchestra series, as well as Guest Conductor with the New Conductors Orchestra. She has previously served as Director of the Primo Coro ensemble of the New Jersey Youth Chorus and Assistant Conductor to the National Children's Chorus.
In addition to vocal performance, her musical training includes harp, piano, and violin, which she teaches in her private music studio in NYC, along with conducting and musicianship. Hannah holds music degrees from Bryn Mawr College and The Manhattan School of Music, with continued studies at The Juilliard School.
Hannah’s specialized pedagogical work focuses on music and the brain—her research, studying the positive effects of music on human behavior, enables her to provide individuals a musical toolkit with which to better approach all aspects of their lives.
Brittney Benton | Composer
The Gena Branscombe Project is proud to award its 2023 Composer Scholarship to Brittney Benton. She is driven by storytelling and imagery and her music takes you on a journey through a lush melodic and harmonic soundscape, filled with personality at every turn.
Brittney holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition with a Minor in Music Technology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She will be attending the Yale School of Music this fall for her Masters in Music Composition. Benton is very interested in working outside of the concert hall, especially in the realm of video game music.
Brittney’s music has been performed by the Bellevue Chamber Chorus, ZOFO, the Beo String Quartet, the Lowell Chamber Orchestra, the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, and more.
In 2020, she was named the winner of PARMA Recordings “Summer 2020 Call for Scores,” and the winner of the Bellevue Chamber Chorus’ “Emerging Composer Competition” in 2021. In 2022, she was named one of the winners of Chicago a Capella’s “Her Voice Competition.”
Recent composition festivals include the 2020 Charlotte New Music Festival and Connecticut Summerfest 2021. She attended the inaugural Akropolis Chamber Music Institute (ACMI) in 2022.
Her principal teachers include Cynthia Wong, Diego Vega, Jennifer Bellor, and Viet Cuong. She has attended masterclasses with Richard Danielpour, Michael Torke, Marc Mellits, Juan Pablo Contreras, and David Conte.
Roslinde Rivera | Arts Administrator
Congratulations to Roslinde Rivera, winner of the Gena Branscombe Project’s 2023 scholarship in Arts Administration. Roslinde is a Kansas City based vocalist who also has a passion for administrative work. She has always sought out opportunities to help with fundraising efforts, marketing, and other facets of administrative work. After graduating from William Jewell College with a Bachelor of Science in Vocal Performance, Ms. Rivera returned to become the Assistant to the Choral Program in charge of events, logistics, and communication. In addition to working in the choral program, she is the administrator for their professional ensemble, Cardinalis, which pairs undergraduate students in a one-to-one apprenticeships with professional singers in the Kansas City area.
Roslinde recently received a Performers Certificate and is currently pursuing a certificate in Performing Arts Management and a Masters degree in Business Administration at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. She hopes to further her involvement in the arts by creating opportunities for young performers and supporting the development and growth of local arts organizations.
