BIG ARTS welcomes back scholarship winner
BIG ARTS recently welcomed back one of its previous music scholarship recipients.
Awarded the BIG ARTS Classical Music Scholarship in 2017, Rebecca Tutunick is one of three finalists in The National Flute Association’s Piccolo Artist Competition. Due to COVID-19, this year’s finals segment is being held virtually, with the three finalists submitting recorded performances.
Tutunick returned to Sanibel to record her entry for the final round on the Christensen Performance Hall stage at BIG ARTS. The winner of the association’s competition will be selected in August.
The biennial competition is one of the world’s largest and attracts musicians from across the globe.
“Our scholarship programs are an important part of BIG ARTS mission,” Executive Director Lee Ellen Harder said. “There are few things that bring us more joy than seeing these incredibly talented young people grow in their artistry and move on to professional success.”
Tutunick grew up in Coral Springs and now lives in Fort Myers. She was a recipient of the scholarship while she was an undergrad at the University of Miami, where she received her bachelor’s in music. In place since 2010, the BIG ARTS program rewards students who have professional goals to pursue training in classical music. Tutunick went on to receive her master’s in music from Indiana University.
She is currently in a fellowship training program called The Orchestra Now, which brings audiences together with the next generation of classical musicians.
“The scholarship made it possible for me to pursue my studies without as many financial limitations,” Tutunick said of the BIG ARTS program. “I’m still incredibly grateful I was selected and can’t stress enough the value of BIG ARTS and other scholarship programs for young musicians like myself.”
BIG ARTS offers annual scholarships for classical music and performing and creative arts.
For more information, visit www.BIGARTS.org or call 239-395-0900.