Scholarship support enables Emma to hit the high notes
Emma Jones is hitting all the right notes, thanks in part to support from the Fehl Charitable Trust.
The Bachelor of Music graduate was named University of Waikato Creative and Performing Arts Person of the Year in 2024, the same year she made her debut in the Auckland Town Hall and as a Guest Chorister for Bach Musica NZ.
The University of Waikato Blues Award winner is currently completing her Bachelor of Music with Honours and has plans to further her studies by undertaking a Master’s in Music in 2025, a year that will also see her join the New Zealand Opera School and New Zealand Youth Choir.
The support from the Fehl Charitable Trust has been invaluable to my studies and journey, and I am deeply grateful and feel very privileged to be a recipient of their generosity, as it has enabled me to fully dedicate myself to my studies and immerse myself in a range of enriching experiences.
The Fehl Charitable Trust (FCT), founded in 1987 by Peter and Rae Fehl, aims to promote the arts, relieve poverty, and advance education and other charitable purposes that are beneficial to the community. In 2023, FCT, in partnership with the University of Waikato Foundation Te Pou Taunaki established the Fehl Charitable Trust Scholarship in Music.
We feel that the arts in general is an area where monetary support is not as readily available as in some other disciplines and that music in all its forms is such an important part of a balanced society. We wish Emma all the very best for her Masters and eventually her Doctoral studies - Sue Grazier, Trustee of the Fehl Charitable Trust.
For Emma, support from FCT has made it possible for her to actively participate in many university activities, music competitions (both local and PACANZ), and be a part of community performances.
“Earlier this year I made my debut by singing the role of Iphis in Handel Consort and Quire’s performances of Jephtha, and made my Auckland Town Hall debut as a soloist and as a Guest Chorister for Bach Musica NZ. I have also spent my time organising and performing at events like concerts around the Waikato and Auckland districts.”
Emma’s goal is to pursue a Doctorate qualification and perform nationally and internationally.
“I would like to then use my journey to inspire, support, and teach others in their academic and musical aspirations and fulfil community engagements.”
Special thanks to the Fehl Charitable Trust for their generous support of University of Waikato music students by way of the FCT Scholarship in Music, worth $5,000.