Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation® Awards $600,000 In Scholarships To International Music Students

In conjunction with its commitment to provide educational funding as a means to further musical education within the Latin community, the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® announced today that $600,000 in scholarships will be awarded to 33 students in various Latin American countries, Spain and the United States. The recipients were chosen by the Foundation’s Scholarship Committee, which evaluated a highly competitive pool of applicants and awarded three Gifted Scholarship Awards with a maximum value of $100,000 each to students from Brazil, Spain and Venezuela; and 30 Scholarship Tuition Assistance Awards with a maximum value of $10,000 each to students from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the United States, and Venezuela.

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation was launched in April 2014 with its primary charitable focus on providing scholarships to gifted music students in financial need, as well as offering fellowships and grants for the research and preservation of Latin music.

“We are amazed by the exceptional level of musical preparation our scholarship recipients have shown throughout the consideration process as well as their commitment and determination to maximize this unique opportunity,” said Manolo Diaz, Vice President of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. “The Foundation and its Scholarship Committee are honored to award our first-ever scholarships to these 33 gifted students, which will provide them with financial support to continue their educational studies, pursue their career goals and ultimately realize their dreams.”

The Gifted Scholarship Award provides monetary support to very talented music students with financial needs and an interest in Latin music. An annual tuition stipend will be provided to those pursuing a four-year bachelor’s degree at a music institution. The maximum amount for these scholarships is $25,000 (U.S.) each year per student. The Scholarship Tuition Assistance Award aids aspiring musicians with an interest in Latin music in meeting financial obligations for the continuation and advancement of their music education. It consists of a one-time tuition award of a maximum value of $10,000 (U.S.) to study at a music institution

Gifted Scholarship Recipients:

Brazilian singer Mirella Costa, Venezuelan pianist Baden Goyo and Spanish pianist Pablo Mirete are the three recipients of the first-ever Gifted Scholarship Awards presented by the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. Costa is a 25-year-old singer from Sao Paulo who will be studying at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Goyo hails from Caracas, Venezuela, and is a 24-year-old pianist who will be studying at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York. Mirete is a 17-year-old pianist from Elche, Spain, who will also further his studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

In order to qualify for continued annual assistance during their four-year college commitment, the recipients of the scholarships must honor and maintain standards of excellence set forth by the Foundation and the respective music institution as well as maintain a 3.0 GPA, which will be assessed each year of their studies.

Scholarship Tuition Assistance Recipients:

The following students will receive the Scholarship Tuition Assistance Award for 2015: Elizabeth Avalos (United States), Renato Augusto Alves da Silva (Brazil), Santiago Barragan (Colombia), Pablo Benito Revollo-Bueno (Colombia), Orlando J. Berrios Rojas (Puerto Rico), Ricardo Chiesa (Puerto Rico), Jose Raul Cruz Melendez (Puerto Rico), Rafael Dos Santos Abdalla (Brazil), Oscar Ettedgui (Venezuela), Maurizio Fiore (Venezuela), Sergio Gallardo (Bolivia), Jairo Gallegos Ayala (Ecuador), Juan Camilo Gonzalez Gonzalez (Colombia), Rodolfo Guilherme da Silva (Brazil), Gregorio Andres Guzman Hernandez (Colombia), Zachary Hernandez (United States), Iseliana Mendez (Venezuela), Bryan Moreta (Ecuador), Steven Muñoz Uribe (Colombia), Esmirna Ortiz (Dominican Republic), Geraldine Osorio (Colombia), Diego Pereira (Brazil), Mauro Pereira de Oliviera Jr. (Brazil), Joabe Reis (Brazil), Cristian Restrepo (Colombia), Marco Antonio Ribera Tejeda (Mexico),  LizVette Rivera (Puerto Rico), Marianelly Rodriguez Quesada (Costa Rica), David Suleiman (Puerto Rico), and Juan Pablo Villota Rosero (Colombia).

To learn more about these scholarships, or any other grants bestowed by the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, please visit our website or social media platforms.

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundationwas established by The Latin Recording Academy® to promote international awareness and appreciation of the significant contributions of Latin music and its makers to the world’s culture, and to protect its rich musical legacy and heritage. The Foundation’s primary charitable focus is to provide scholarships to students of Latin music with financial needs, as well as grants to scholars and organizations worldwide for research and preservation of Latin music genres. For more information about the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, please visit LatinGRAMMYCulturalFoundation.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow us at: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.