News from the Swift Fund for the Arts
2013 Richard G. Swift Scholarship Awarded
The Swift Fund for the Arts has announced the award of the 2013 Richard G. Swift Scholarship for excellence in music to Paige Miller of Delphos, Ohio. Professor Swift grew up in Delphos, Ohio and became one of the noted composers, conductors and educators of the 20th Century. Professor Swift was a decorated professor in the Department of Music at the University of California Davis until his death in 2003. The Swift Fund for the Arts was created in his honor to continue education in music and the arts and is funded solely on public donations, sales of artistic work and royalties. Paige graduated from Delphos Jefferson High School in 2013 with a broad musical experience. Pagie receives $500 in recognition of her efforts. The Board congratulates Paige in her achievement.
May 2012: Swiftfund for the Arts announces 2012 RGS Scholar Cassidy Bevington
The Swift Fund for the Arts Board of Directors announces the award of the 2012 Richard G. Swift Scholarship for excellence in music to Cassidy Bevington. Congratulations Cassidy!
May 2011: Announcing 2011 RGS Scholar Meagan Williams
The Swift Fund Board has selected Meagan Williams as this year's Richard G. Swift Scholarship for graduating senior from Delphos, Ohio. Meagan demonstrated ability and determination in her pursuits. Congratulation Meagan!
July 2010: Swift Fund for the Arts Sponsors Scholar in the Lake Tahoe Music Festival Academy
The Lake Tahoe Music Festival has expanded their programs this year to include a residence Orchestra Academy for top musicians. The Swift Fund to the Arts is proud to support the LTMF Academy by sponsoring one of the attendees. 2010 Swift Fund/LTMF Scholar is: Joel Tosta Alarcon. Mr. Alarcon is a gifted musician, and also expressed in his bio many of the qualities that the Swift Fund strives to promote - his dedication to music, teaching, composition and even conducting, as well as sharing his talents and ambitions in many ways throughout the community. The Swift Fund for the Arts is paying for Mr. Alarcon's residency in recognition of his musical talent and achievements. We hope others will follow our lead and support the LTMF Academy and their other programs by enjoying music at the festival in the beautiful Lake Tahoe area. For more information, visit www.tahoemusic.org
June 2010: Costs Down, but so are Donations
A note from the Treasurer, Joel Swift
In the wake of the Recession, donations and contributions to the Swift Fund for the Arts have receded in the past two years. We want to thank those who continue to provide support for the Swift Fund for the Arts. In order to maintain our programs, which rely heavily on public donations, the Swift Fund for the Arts has made changes in reducing our operational costs. We have moved and reduced storage costs and our webhosting. Our partner in webhosting is now www.fatcow.com, which is a fraction of our cost only a year ago, and is 100% powered by green wind energy. So donations are certainly welcome and necessary to keep our scholarships and grants available, so please contact us if you are interested in supporting the Swift Fund for the Arts. Thank you!
In the wake of the Recession, donations and contributions to the Swift Fund for the Arts have receded in the past two years. We want to thank those who continue to provide support for the Swift Fund for the Arts. In order to maintain our programs, which rely heavily on public donations, the Swift Fund for the Arts has made changes in reducing our operational costs. We have moved and reduced storage costs and our webhosting. Our partner in webhosting is now www.fatcow.com, which is a fraction of our cost only a year ago, and is 100% powered by green wind energy. So donations are certainly welcome and necessary to keep our scholarships and grants available, so please contact us if you are interested in supporting the Swift Fund for the Arts. Thank you!
May 2010: Announcing 2010 RGS Scholar Ashley Rode
The 2010 Richard G Swift Scholarship has been awarded to Ashley Rode of Spenceville, Ohio. Ashley is a graduating senior at Delphos Jefferson High School, where she plays flute in the marching band, concert band, pep band, and school musicals. Ashley receives $500 in recognition of her accomplishments. Congratulations Ashley!
June 2009:
Announcing 2009 RGS Scholar Krista Youngpeter
The 2009 Richard G Swift Scholarship in Delphos Ohio has been awarded to Krista Youngpeter. Congratulations, Krista.
September 2008
Swiftfund/SYS Scholarship Awarded to:Mary Jade Farruggia. Images from the Mono Lake Music and Ecology Camp with Isoke Khemet and Samantha Gruys
April 2008
The Swift Fund for the Arts is proud to be a supporter of the UC Davis Percussion Festival, held April 10-14.
News Archives
June 2008
Mildred A. Eley Mono Lake Scholarship Awarded to:Isoke Khemet. The Swift Fund is sponsoring Isoke's tuition at the Mono Lake Music and Ecology Camp.
May 2008
2008 Richard G. Swift Music Scholarship Awarded.Congratulations to Melissa Clevenger for earning the 2008 Richard G. Swift Memorial Scholarship for Music in Delphos, Ohio. Melissa receives recognition for her efforts and abilities along with the scholarship amount of $500.
April 2008
The Swift Fund for the Arts is proud to be a supporter of the UC Davis Percussion Festival, held April 10-14.
March 2008
The Richard G. Swift Music Memorial Scholarship in Delphos, OhioIn memory of the late composer and educator Richard G. Swift, the Swift Fund for the Arts offer a scholarship to a graduating high school student from professor Swift's hometown of Delphos, Ohio.
August 2007
Swift Fund SYS Scholarships AnnouncesThe Swift Fund for the Arts is proud to award two scholarships in the 2007/2008 Sacramento Youth Symphony:Junior Orchestra Zoe Jones, flute, Sacramento, CA.Premiere Orchestra - Jennyn Jefferson, trumpet, Davis, CA.Each Scholar receives full sponsorship for this year's program from the Swift Fund for the Arts.
July 2007 Donations Update
See our Sponsors Page for updates on recent donations. Thanks to generous public donations, we are able to continue our programs.
June 2007
Scholarship Announcements2007-2008 SYS Scholarship is now open. Postmark due date for applications has been extended to July 21, 2007.Mono Lake Music and Ecology CampMono Lake, CaliforniaThe Swift Fund for the Arts announces the recipients of our scholarships for two students to attend this valuable and exciting camp. This year is our inaugural year of supporting this camp. The two recipients are:Megan Crawford of Davis, California, Cello, week 1Samantha Gruys of Santa Cruz, California, Cello, week 2 For more information about the Mono Lake Music and Ecology Camp, email Priscilla Hawkins or visit their website atMusic and Ecology CampCongratulations to Megan and Samantha.We hope you enjoy the camp!
May 2007
Scholarship Announcement-Richard G. Swift Memorial ScholarshipDelphos, Ohio Congratulations to Allison King, of Delphos, Ohio, for earning the inaugural Richard G. Swift Memorial Scholarship for Music. Allison proved her merit in music performance and education as a stellar scholar. Professor Swift was a native of Delphos, Ohio, and the scholarship in his name is intended to honor a graduating senior from Delphos who exemplifies Professor Swift's values in education and music.
November 2006
Press Release:The Board of Directors of the Swift Fund for the Arts announce an expanded program of scholarships, grants and competitions in support of music, arts and humanities, the core mission of the Swift Fund for the Arts. In the coming year, the organization will sponsor the following:Sacramento Youth Symphony scholarship for Junior Orchestra or Jazz orchestra. In our third year of scholarships for students in the Sacramento Youth Symphony, we plan to open up the Swift Fund Scholarship to all participants.Scholarships for students in the Mono Lake Music and Ecology Camp This year, the Swift Fund for the Arts has agreed to fund one scholarship in the amount of $300 for each of next year's sessions at Mono Lake.
September 2006
David Cairns donation: Mostly Mozart/Lincoln Center donationThe Swift Fund for the Arts would like to thank David Cairns of London, England, for his generous donation to our organization. Mr. Cairns donated the proceeds o f his honorarium for a talk at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (NYC) Mostly Mozart Festival. The donation in the amount of $750 is much appreciated and continues the spirit of the Swift Fund.
August 2006
August 15 Press Release : Swift Fund for the Arts Announces Music Scholarship Recipients The Swift Fund for the Arts, a California-based non profit organization dedicated to supporting music and the arts, announces recipients of its 2006-2007 Music Scholarship Program. The program was open to students residing in Yolo County who attended the Sacramento Youth Symphony 2006-2007 programs. This scholarship seeks to reward excellence in music performance and provides funding for one scholar in three Sacramento Youth Symphony Programs.Three students were selected as recipients of the 2006/2007 Swift Fund for the Arts Scholarships: Premier Orchestra: Aleisha Kahn (clarinet)Academic Orchestra: Christian Hoschek (viola)Jazz Band: Colin McDaniel (drums)The recipients received funding for their attendance in the program and recognition for their effort and interest in music performance. All of the applicants showed great promise and effort.
Spring/Summer 2006
Swift Fund Announces Recipient of the SYS Summer Chamber ScholarshipThe Swift Fund for the Arts proudly presents the 2006 SYS Summer Chamber scholar:Christian Hoschek of Davis, CA As the inaugural program of the Swift Fund for the Arts, this scholarship seeks to reward excellence in music performance. Two students were selected for the Swift Fund for the Arts Scholarships: Andrew Floyd of Woodland, percussion, in the Academic Orchestra and Connor Kelly, Trumpet, in the Junior Orchestra. The two recipients received funding for their 2005-2006 participation in the Sacramento Youth Symphony and recognition for their effort and interest in music performance. An Honorable Mention was also awarded to Aleisha Kahn of Davis, clarinet, in the Academic Orchestra. The Swift Fund for the Arts will be offering more scholarships in 2006. For more information, contact the Swift Fund for the Arts at www.swiftfund.org or (530) 219-6057.
August 2005
August 18 Press Release (updated October 2005):Swift Fund for the Arts Announces Music Scholarship RecipientsThe Swift Fund for the Arts, a Davis-based non profit organization dedicated to supporting music and the arts, announces recipients of its 2005-2006 Music Scholarship Program. The program was open to students residing in Yolo County who attended the Sacramento Youth Symphony 2005-2006 programs. This scholarship seeks to reward excellence in music performance and provides funding for one scholar in each of the three Sacramento Youth Symphonies.Two students were selected as recipients of the 2005/2006 Swift Fund for the Arts Scholarships: Academic Orchestra:Andrew Floyd (percussion)Junior Orchestra: Connor Kelly (trumpet)The recipients received funding for their attendance in the program and recognition for their effort and interest in music performance. An Honorable Mention was awarded to Aleisha Kahn(clarinet, Academic Orchestra)
July 2005
July 18 Press Release:Swift Fund for the Arts Announces Music Scholarship RecipientsThe Swift Fund for the Arts, a Davis-based non profit organization dedicated to supporting music and the arts, announces recipients of its Summer 2005 Music Scholarship Program.
June 2005
Scholarship Award AnnouncementThe Swift Fund for the Arts proudly presents our first two scholars, for the Sacramento Youth Symphony Summer Chamber Workshop. The recipients receive full tuition in the program and were selected by our committee and Board in recognition of their excellence and promise in music performance.Kendall Abbas of Woodland, CAMonica Lopez-Islas of Davis, CA
May 2005 - Scholarship The Swift Fund for the Arts announces the 2005-2006 Scholarship program.
February 2005 - Performances
UCD Symphony Orchestra performed a portion of Richard Swift's Roses Only on February 13, 2005. The performance includes White Noise II, composed from a poem by Dorothy Swift Courtesy of Professor D. Kern Holoman: MP3 File of White Noise II Performance, http://hector.ucdavis.edu/ucdso/98sound/swiftroses2.mp3
Brandeis University announces the Irving Fine Memorial Concert January 30, 2005, 3:00 pm, featuring Jerome Kuderna, piano. Program include works by Fine, Boykan, Babbitt, Helps, Rakowski, Swift, and Sessions.http://www.brandeis.edu/departments/music/tickets.html
Richard G Swift - by D. Kern HolomanRichard Swift, noted American composer and;both practically and intellectually;a founder of {the journal 19th-Century Music}, died 8 November 2003 in Davis, California, after a brief period of rapidly declining health. He was 76. Born 24 September 1927 in Middlepoint (and not, as Grove 6 has it, Middleport), Ohio, he attended the University of Chicago, from which he earned a master's degree in 1956 after music composition studies with Grovesnor Cooper, Leland Smith, and Leonard Meyer. That same year he was appointed to the nascent faculty in music at the University of California, Davis, from which he retired in 1991.For decades Swift was, for many, the intellectual foundation of a department he did much to establish as a famous locus of new music: a rigorous composer in the strict-serialist mode, a theorist whose opinions and analyses were highly valued in the uppermost echelons of academia, a gifted teacher and devoted mentor of young people who themselves went on to distinguished careers in any number of disciplines in letters and the arts. (He was also an avid collector of paintings and sculpture and an indefatigable reader of literature, history, and criticism; his wife, Dorothy Swift, was a gifted poet and cultivator of old roses.) At UCDavis he had the unusual distinction of having won, in short order, both the Distinguished Teaching Award (1980) and the Faculty Research Lectureship (1983). He was a visiting professor at Princeton in 1977&78.The initial inventory of Swift's works reached 107 numbered composition with Elegies for piano in 2002, possibly his last work. Among his compositions are works in nearly all the traditional genres, including a symphony, two piano concertos, six string quartets, a series of at least 14 chamber works titled Stravaganza (1956&2001), and quite a number of songs to texts by major poets of his acquaintance. In 1997, Perspectives of New Music (vol. 35, no. 5) featured a segment "For Richard Swift at 70" with contributions by Martin Boykan, Brian Fennelly, Dora A. Hanninen, Robert Morris, Leo Treitler, and Edgar Williams, Jr. Preparation of a catalogue of Swift's works and their sources, with documentation of recordings and performances, is underway by a team of scholars working in conjunction with the heirs.Dick Swift was especially proud of his work in the 1970s on the editorial board of the University of California Press, where he served as a valued advisor to the new music editor, Doris Kretschmer, and where he is still remembered for his high standards and impeccable taste-in sum, for having helped fashion a music list of particular distinction, especially in regard to 20th-century music. 19th-Century Music would never have been born without his influence at the Press and, indeed, across the campuses of the University of California. It was not an accident that Joseph Kerman, Robert Winter, and I invited a major article from Swift at the very beginning, nor that his is the lead article in our inaugural issue: "1-XII-99: Tonal Relations in Schoenberg's Verklarte Nachte"
D Kern Holoman
Mildred A. Eley Mono Lake Scholarship Awarded to:Isoke Khemet. The Swift Fund is sponsoring Isoke's tuition at the Mono Lake Music and Ecology Camp.
May 2008
2008 Richard G. Swift Music Scholarship Awarded.Congratulations to Melissa Clevenger for earning the 2008 Richard G. Swift Memorial Scholarship for Music in Delphos, Ohio. Melissa receives recognition for her efforts and abilities along with the scholarship amount of $500.
April 2008
The Swift Fund for the Arts is proud to be a supporter of the UC Davis Percussion Festival, held April 10-14.
March 2008
The Richard G. Swift Music Memorial Scholarship in Delphos, OhioIn memory of the late composer and educator Richard G. Swift, the Swift Fund for the Arts offer a scholarship to a graduating high school student from professor Swift's hometown of Delphos, Ohio.
August 2007
Swift Fund SYS Scholarships AnnouncesThe Swift Fund for the Arts is proud to award two scholarships in the 2007/2008 Sacramento Youth Symphony:Junior Orchestra Zoe Jones, flute, Sacramento, CA.Premiere Orchestra - Jennyn Jefferson, trumpet, Davis, CA.Each Scholar receives full sponsorship for this year's program from the Swift Fund for the Arts.
July 2007 Donations Update
See our Sponsors Page for updates on recent donations. Thanks to generous public donations, we are able to continue our programs.
June 2007
Scholarship Announcements2007-2008 SYS Scholarship is now open. Postmark due date for applications has been extended to July 21, 2007.Mono Lake Music and Ecology CampMono Lake, CaliforniaThe Swift Fund for the Arts announces the recipients of our scholarships for two students to attend this valuable and exciting camp. This year is our inaugural year of supporting this camp. The two recipients are:Megan Crawford of Davis, California, Cello, week 1Samantha Gruys of Santa Cruz, California, Cello, week 2 For more information about the Mono Lake Music and Ecology Camp, email Priscilla Hawkins or visit their website atMusic and Ecology CampCongratulations to Megan and Samantha.We hope you enjoy the camp!
May 2007
Scholarship Announcement-Richard G. Swift Memorial ScholarshipDelphos, Ohio Congratulations to Allison King, of Delphos, Ohio, for earning the inaugural Richard G. Swift Memorial Scholarship for Music. Allison proved her merit in music performance and education as a stellar scholar. Professor Swift was a native of Delphos, Ohio, and the scholarship in his name is intended to honor a graduating senior from Delphos who exemplifies Professor Swift's values in education and music.
November 2006
Press Release:The Board of Directors of the Swift Fund for the Arts announce an expanded program of scholarships, grants and competitions in support of music, arts and humanities, the core mission of the Swift Fund for the Arts. In the coming year, the organization will sponsor the following:Sacramento Youth Symphony scholarship for Junior Orchestra or Jazz orchestra. In our third year of scholarships for students in the Sacramento Youth Symphony, we plan to open up the Swift Fund Scholarship to all participants.Scholarships for students in the Mono Lake Music and Ecology Camp This year, the Swift Fund for the Arts has agreed to fund one scholarship in the amount of $300 for each of next year's sessions at Mono Lake.
September 2006
David Cairns donation: Mostly Mozart/Lincoln Center donationThe Swift Fund for the Arts would like to thank David Cairns of London, England, for his generous donation to our organization. Mr. Cairns donated the proceeds o f his honorarium for a talk at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (NYC) Mostly Mozart Festival. The donation in the amount of $750 is much appreciated and continues the spirit of the Swift Fund.
August 2006
August 15 Press Release : Swift Fund for the Arts Announces Music Scholarship Recipients The Swift Fund for the Arts, a California-based non profit organization dedicated to supporting music and the arts, announces recipients of its 2006-2007 Music Scholarship Program. The program was open to students residing in Yolo County who attended the Sacramento Youth Symphony 2006-2007 programs. This scholarship seeks to reward excellence in music performance and provides funding for one scholar in three Sacramento Youth Symphony Programs.Three students were selected as recipients of the 2006/2007 Swift Fund for the Arts Scholarships: Premier Orchestra: Aleisha Kahn (clarinet)Academic Orchestra: Christian Hoschek (viola)Jazz Band: Colin McDaniel (drums)The recipients received funding for their attendance in the program and recognition for their effort and interest in music performance. All of the applicants showed great promise and effort.
Spring/Summer 2006
Swift Fund Announces Recipient of the SYS Summer Chamber ScholarshipThe Swift Fund for the Arts proudly presents the 2006 SYS Summer Chamber scholar:Christian Hoschek of Davis, CA As the inaugural program of the Swift Fund for the Arts, this scholarship seeks to reward excellence in music performance. Two students were selected for the Swift Fund for the Arts Scholarships: Andrew Floyd of Woodland, percussion, in the Academic Orchestra and Connor Kelly, Trumpet, in the Junior Orchestra. The two recipients received funding for their 2005-2006 participation in the Sacramento Youth Symphony and recognition for their effort and interest in music performance. An Honorable Mention was also awarded to Aleisha Kahn of Davis, clarinet, in the Academic Orchestra. The Swift Fund for the Arts will be offering more scholarships in 2006. For more information, contact the Swift Fund for the Arts at www.swiftfund.org or (530) 219-6057.
August 2005
August 18 Press Release (updated October 2005):Swift Fund for the Arts Announces Music Scholarship RecipientsThe Swift Fund for the Arts, a Davis-based non profit organization dedicated to supporting music and the arts, announces recipients of its 2005-2006 Music Scholarship Program. The program was open to students residing in Yolo County who attended the Sacramento Youth Symphony 2005-2006 programs. This scholarship seeks to reward excellence in music performance and provides funding for one scholar in each of the three Sacramento Youth Symphonies.Two students were selected as recipients of the 2005/2006 Swift Fund for the Arts Scholarships: Academic Orchestra:Andrew Floyd (percussion)Junior Orchestra: Connor Kelly (trumpet)The recipients received funding for their attendance in the program and recognition for their effort and interest in music performance. An Honorable Mention was awarded to Aleisha Kahn(clarinet, Academic Orchestra)
July 2005
July 18 Press Release:Swift Fund for the Arts Announces Music Scholarship RecipientsThe Swift Fund for the Arts, a Davis-based non profit organization dedicated to supporting music and the arts, announces recipients of its Summer 2005 Music Scholarship Program.
June 2005
Scholarship Award AnnouncementThe Swift Fund for the Arts proudly presents our first two scholars, for the Sacramento Youth Symphony Summer Chamber Workshop. The recipients receive full tuition in the program and were selected by our committee and Board in recognition of their excellence and promise in music performance.Kendall Abbas of Woodland, CAMonica Lopez-Islas of Davis, CA
May 2005 - Scholarship The Swift Fund for the Arts announces the 2005-2006 Scholarship program.
February 2005 - Performances
UCD Symphony Orchestra performed a portion of Richard Swift's Roses Only on February 13, 2005. The performance includes White Noise II, composed from a poem by Dorothy Swift Courtesy of Professor D. Kern Holoman: MP3 File of White Noise II Performance, http://hector.ucdavis.edu/ucdso/98sound/swiftroses2.mp3
Brandeis University announces the Irving Fine Memorial Concert January 30, 2005, 3:00 pm, featuring Jerome Kuderna, piano. Program include works by Fine, Boykan, Babbitt, Helps, Rakowski, Swift, and Sessions.http://www.brandeis.edu/departments/music/tickets.html
Richard G Swift - by D. Kern HolomanRichard Swift, noted American composer and;both practically and intellectually;a founder of {the journal 19th-Century Music}, died 8 November 2003 in Davis, California, after a brief period of rapidly declining health. He was 76. Born 24 September 1927 in Middlepoint (and not, as Grove 6 has it, Middleport), Ohio, he attended the University of Chicago, from which he earned a master's degree in 1956 after music composition studies with Grovesnor Cooper, Leland Smith, and Leonard Meyer. That same year he was appointed to the nascent faculty in music at the University of California, Davis, from which he retired in 1991.For decades Swift was, for many, the intellectual foundation of a department he did much to establish as a famous locus of new music: a rigorous composer in the strict-serialist mode, a theorist whose opinions and analyses were highly valued in the uppermost echelons of academia, a gifted teacher and devoted mentor of young people who themselves went on to distinguished careers in any number of disciplines in letters and the arts. (He was also an avid collector of paintings and sculpture and an indefatigable reader of literature, history, and criticism; his wife, Dorothy Swift, was a gifted poet and cultivator of old roses.) At UCDavis he had the unusual distinction of having won, in short order, both the Distinguished Teaching Award (1980) and the Faculty Research Lectureship (1983). He was a visiting professor at Princeton in 1977&78.The initial inventory of Swift's works reached 107 numbered composition with Elegies for piano in 2002, possibly his last work. Among his compositions are works in nearly all the traditional genres, including a symphony, two piano concertos, six string quartets, a series of at least 14 chamber works titled Stravaganza (1956&2001), and quite a number of songs to texts by major poets of his acquaintance. In 1997, Perspectives of New Music (vol. 35, no. 5) featured a segment "For Richard Swift at 70" with contributions by Martin Boykan, Brian Fennelly, Dora A. Hanninen, Robert Morris, Leo Treitler, and Edgar Williams, Jr. Preparation of a catalogue of Swift's works and their sources, with documentation of recordings and performances, is underway by a team of scholars working in conjunction with the heirs.Dick Swift was especially proud of his work in the 1970s on the editorial board of the University of California Press, where he served as a valued advisor to the new music editor, Doris Kretschmer, and where he is still remembered for his high standards and impeccable taste-in sum, for having helped fashion a music list of particular distinction, especially in regard to 20th-century music. 19th-Century Music would never have been born without his influence at the Press and, indeed, across the campuses of the University of California. It was not an accident that Joseph Kerman, Robert Winter, and I invited a major article from Swift at the very beginning, nor that his is the lead article in our inaugural issue: "1-XII-99: Tonal Relations in Schoenberg's Verklarte Nachte"
D Kern Holoman