Award Recipients

Jordan Washington

Jordan Washington, Baritone, is native of Columbus, Ohio where he began his musical studies under Dr. Carren Moham. While studying in Columbus he was afforded the opportunity to sing with the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra under Maestro Peter Stafford Wilson singing Aaron Copland’s “Old American Songs”. He, also, spent one summer studying at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) under Dr. Gregory Zavracky. At Tanglewood, Jordan performed the role of St. Peter from “Too Many Sopranos” by Edwin Penhorwood and was chosen as a soloist for the BUTI 50th Anniversary concert in Seiji Ozawa Hall. Jordan is a Junior at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) studying under Dr. Janice Jackson. Since studying at UMBC he has performed the roles of Dr. Falke (Die Fledermaus), Drunken Poet (Fairy Queen), and Marcello (La Boheme). Currently Jordan is studying abroad in Milan, Italy for one semester under Patrizia Zanardi. Jordan would like to thank the David Smith Scholarship Committee for selecting him as one of the recipients of the scholarship this year.

Tara Kitchelt

Tara Kitchelt is a senior Vocal Performance Major at UMBC where she is training to sing professionally. Tara studies voice from Janice Jackson and has performed in several different roles in Opera Workshop such as Mimi from La Boheme, Adele from Die Fledermaus, and Maria from West Side Story. She is also the Vice-President of UMBC’s Musical Theatre Club. Tara is very thankful for receiving the David Smith Scholarship and is excited for her career in the future as she begins to venture into graduate school auditions.

Louis Witt

Louis Witt is a vocal performance major studying under Dr. Stephen Caracciolo at UMBC. Within the music department, he has sung in ensembles such as the UMBC Camerata Chorus and Opera Workshop. Last May, he held his Junior recital, and is currently planning his Senior recital for next Spring. Outside of classes, he recently served as a voice apprentice at the National Music Festival in Chestertown, MD.  He also sings as a bass in the campus’s award-winning a cappella group, the Cleftomaniacs. After his expected graduation in the spring of 2020, he looks to deepen his musical experience in a graduate program. He is thankful for the opportunity to be chosen as the recipient of the David W. Smith Scholarship.

Micah Linzy-Young

Micah Linzy-Young, recent recipient of the David Smith Scholarship,  is a senior at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County pursuing her B. A. Music Performance with a vocal track. She has portrayed characters like Dorabella (Cosi Fan Tutti), Zerlina (Don Giovanni) and Hanna (The Merry Widow) in Opera Workshop class. She has also been apart of an Opera performance for Little Patuxent Opera Program where she played Geraldine in Hand of Bridge and Dorabella’s understudy in an abridged version of Cosi Fan Tutti.  Last semester she was chosen to participate in the music department’s Honor’s Recital, performing “Snake” from a song cycle by Jake Heggie. She is looking forward to her senior recital this semester and will be attending the AMDA Conservatory where she will be in their Integrated Musical Theatre Program in the Summer of 2019.

Dana Pirzchalski

Being granted this award has been one of the greatest gifts music has brought to my life. It has shown me that I am not only capable of being successful as a vocalist, but that there are also faculty supporting me as I continue to pursue my education. I am forever grateful to the David W. Smith Foundation for giving me such great opportunity at UMBC.

Norman Crone

I am so blessed to receive David W. Smith Scholarship.  To me, this scholarship represents not only a recognition of the hard work and passion I pour into my craft, but a chance to continue to pursue it.  I work very hard to attend the UMBC Vocal Music program, and I pay for everything on my own – tuition, music, voice lesson fees, and everything else.  I don’t know if I would have been able to pay for my final year on my own; this scholarship enables me to complete my final year in the program and further my goal of becoming a professional soloist and ensemble member.