The Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award is presented annually to a student entering their senior year who has shown extraordinary musical and academic accomplishments. The Presser award is considered the most prestigious undergraduate honor in music at the University of North Texas and is provided by the Presser Foundation that awards annual scholarships, grants and funds for the furthering of music education and music in America.
In perpetuity, the recipients are referred to as Presser Scholars.
The winner is nominated by College of Music faculty and selected by the College of Music Council of Division Chairs. The scholarship has been awarded annually for more than six decades.
About the Presser Foundation
The Presser Foundation was established in 1939 under the Deeds of Trust and Will of the late Theodore Presser. It is one of the few private foundations in the United States dedicated solely to music education and music philanthropy. It is their hope that every institution, organization and individual funded by The Presser Foundation will read about the rich history of The Foundation and the inspiring biography of Theodore Presser.
UNT College of Music Presser Undergraduate Scholars
2022-2023: Matthew Dexter, voice
2021-2022: Luke Vanek, music education/saxophone
2020-2021: Amrutha Murthy, music education/flute performance
2019-2020: Landon Chang, saxophone
2018-2019: Samuel Miyashita, music theory/composition**
2018-2019: Ruth Mertens, harp**
2017-2018: Maggie Ng, oboe
2016-2017: Gregory Santa Croce, jazz piano and organ
2015-2016: Brendon Wilkins, music education/jazz flute and saxophone
2014-2015: Danielle Cordray, harp
2013-2014: Alyssa Narum, voice
2012-2013: Sarah Tran, music education/flute
2011-2012: Charlene (Charley) Gilstrap, flute
2010-2011: Ashley Mendeke, music education/flute
2009-2010: Samuel Reid, music education/jazz studies, saxophone
2008-2009: María José Romero Ramos, violin
2007-2008: Yennifer Correia, violin
2006-2007: Mark Scott, music composition, trombone
2005-2006: Renata van der Vyver, viola
2004-2005: Daniel Stipe, organ and piano
2003-2004: Andreas Berg, jazz guitar
2002-2003: Shawna Hamilton, cello
2001-2002: Elliot Figg, music composition, harpsichord
2000-2001: Sara Sheffield, voice
1999-2000: Jessie Hinkle, voice
1998-1999: Candis Threlkeld (Bradshaw), oboe
1997-1998: Michael Schneider, piano
1996-1997: Madeline Adkins, violin
1995-1996: Rosana Calderon (Eckert), horn
1994-1995: Alexandra Adkins (Wenig), violin
1993-1994: Marcus Lynn Roberts, music education, euphonium
1992-1993: Kimberly Stephenson, music education, clarinet
1991-1992: Mark Hunt, horn
1990-1991: Kimberly Cole (Luevano), clarinet
1989-1990: Clare Adkins (Cason), violin
1988-1989: James Quentin Bell, viola
1987-1988: David Matthews, oboe
1986-1987: Laura Finnell, music education, bassoon
1985-1986: Cynthia Thompson, music education, trumpet
1984-1985: Jennifer Allen, oboe
1983-1984: John Korak, MUED, trumpet
1982-1983: Barbara Ingraham, horn
1981-1982: Mitch Maxwell, cello
1980-1981: Ms. Lee Seibert, bassoon
1979-1980: Deborah Ragsdale, flute
1978-1979: Diane Petty, piano
1977-1978: Elisabeth Adkins (Newman), violin
Timothy Vaughn, music education, voice
1976-1977: Barbara Zickler Hall, music education, clarinet
Peter Nelson, music education, horn
1975-1976: Terry Hawkins, music education, voice
Michael Daugherty, music education, jazz keyboard
1974-1975: Martha Whitmore, voice
Douglas Gibb, trumpet
1973-1974: Marc A. Johnson, double bass and electric bass
Maryann Mickle, harp
1972-1973: Harriet Wiles, voice
Steve Paxton, music composition, bass
1971-1972: Judy Jonson, piano
Barbara Molinare, violin
1970-1971: John R. Hall, cello
Ann Rebecca Thurmond, violin
1969-1970: David Eugene Philly, piano
Ann Rebecca Thurmond, violin
1968-1969: Marilyn Rietz, cello
W. Lane Allen, violin
1967-1968: Roxanna Hoover, violin
June Nickerson, violin
1966-1967: Janet Remine, violin
Kathleen Keithly, alto
1965-1966: * David Breeden, clarinet
Lurline Speer, music education, organ
1964-1965: Margaret Mitchell, organ
James Stanford, violin
1963-1964: Carol Ann Reglin, flute
James Rivers, piano
1962-1963: Cecilia Knox, piano
Cary Lewis, piano
1961-1962: Nancy Hartman, soprano
Graham Clarke, organ
1960-1961: Carl Moehlman, organ
Pat Dougherty, voice
1959-1960: Sylvia Brummett, music education, violin and horn
Kristin Webb, flute
1958-1959: Jerry Voorhees, music education, bassoon
W. Sherwood Dudley, trumpet
1957-1958: John Matejowsky, trumpet
Wilna Buckingham, piano
1956-1957: Anita Anderson (Wright), music education, violin
*Stanley Potter, piano
1955-1956: Leon Nedbalek, music composition and theory, trumpet
Merriam Godfrey (Paul), oboe
1954-1955: Bennie Middaugh, baritone
Emily High (Hartnett), MUED, piano
1953-1954: Grace Grainger, voice
Susan Houser, voice
1952-1953: * Dale Peters, theory/organ
Carolyn Kaps, viola
1951-1952: * Jack Roberts, piano
Nancy Wright, voice
1951 and Before:
*Mary Nan Hudgins (Mailman), piano
Robert Jenkins, percussion
Mary Jane Sullivan, clarinet
Anita Harvey, harp
* Barton Cantrell, clarinet
Lou Ann Hardy, violin
**Change in Presser Foundation dating resulted in Mertens being designated 2018-2019
scholar in spring 2018, and Miyashita being designated 2018-2019 scholar in spring
2019.
*Deceased