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Tannenbaum, James Memorial Scholarship

The James Tannenbaum Memorial Scholarship is an endowed fund created in 2005 (and subsequently revised in 2010, 2017, and 2024 to reflect current University policies) with a generous gift by Dr. Michele Mills, honoring the memory of her late husband and teacher. James Tannenbaum (1944-2002) was a member of the distinguished Cleveland Institute of Music Conservatory piano faculty for over thirty years. He was a renowned pianist and dedicated teacher whose performances, master classes, and adjudication at competitions contributed to the musical life of universities and communities in northeast Ohio and surrounding states, as well as numerous locations throughout the country. Devoted to high standards of pianism, readings of works faithful to an urtext score, as well as beauty and expression Mr. Tannenbaum performed imaginative new recital programs annually throughout his life.

He appeared as a soloist in concertos with numerous orchestras throughout the region and was a stalwart on the Cleveland Institute of Music distinguished Wednesday Night Concert Series. He appeared in collaboration with some of the finest musicians in the country such as Eleanor Steber, Helen Vanni, Paul Sperry, Maurice Sharp, and Franklin Cohen. In 1991, The Ohio House of Representatives recognized his contributions with a special proclamation celebrating 25 years of extraordinary music making in Ohio.

As a student, he was a soloist with the Michigan State Singers and was among the finest young pianists invited to participate in the first two years of the Blossom Music Festival. Although he studied piano with several distinguished teachers, he was quick to credit Victor Babin, a student of renowned pedagogue Artur Schnabel, as his main mentor and influence. Mr. Tannenbaum's own studies at CIM were strongly supported by honors and awards in the form of scholarships due to high performance in both scholastics as well as pianism. He was the recipient of the prestigious Beryl Rubinstein Memorial Scholarship, first prizes won at various competitions including the Battle Creek International Competition, Michigan State University Concerto Competition, the Cleveland Institute of Music Piano Solo Competition, and Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition.

Mr. Tannenbaum considered the music of the composer Mozart to be the most challenging and revealing in both the technical and expressive skills of any performer, thus the music of this composer is especially appropriate in memory of his devotion to that repertoire both as a performer and teacher.

Recipients of The James Tannenbaum Memorial Scholarship shall be outstanding new or continuing undergraduate or graduate piano students majoring in performance, accompanying, choral education, or pursuing a Certificate in Piano Pedagogy. If no piano student can be identified as eligible, this scholarship may be awarded to any student pursuing a degree within the UA School of Music. Recipients may be full- or part-time students and shall be selected by the Director of the UA School of Music or their designee in consultation with piano/music faculty based upon the student's musical ability and growth within the School of Music. In addition, the recipient must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. This scholarship may support any qualified educational expense. 

To make a tax-deductible gift to this scholarship, please visit UA’s . Select “A different designation” from the drop-down menu and enter “James Tannenbaum Scholarship” in the text box. Thank you!