BMI Foundation Celebrates 2024 New York City Scholarship Recipients
L-R: 2024 Kavi Ohri Memorial Scholarship recipient Samuel Rodriguez Sandoval; 2024 Theodora Zavin Scholarship recipient Kenji Golden; and 2024 Evelyn Buckstein Scholarship recipient Luay Hamzawy.
New York, NY - June 17th, 2024 - BMI Foundation, Inc. held a reception for the recipients of the Evelyn Buckstein Scholarship, Theodora Zavin Scholarship, and Kavi Ohri Memorial Scholarship on June 13th at BMI’s headquarters in New York City. The toast was attended by members of the BMI Foundation board of trustees as well as family and friends of the recipients and representatives from partner institutions where the scholarship recipients are studying.
“We are so proud of these young people, and so grateful to meet the next generation of music creators,” shared BMI Foundation President Deirdre Chadwick. “They have bright futures ahead, and we can’t wait to hear what they have in store.”
The 2024 Evelyn Buckstein Scholarship was awarded to City College of New York (CCNY) student Luay Hamzawy. Endowed in 2007 by former BMI Foundation Board Member, retired BMI Assistant Vice President and Counsel and CCNY alumna Evelyn Buckstein, the Evelyn Buckstein Scholarship recognizes one gifted CCNY student pursuing a career in music each year with a gift of one year’s tuition to the college. A student in the Bachelor's Degree program in Sonic Arts, Hamzawy grew up in Berlin, Germany and Cairo, Egypt, where he began classical training in piano and grew his passion for songwriting. He plans on working as an audio engineer and musician after graduation.
Violinist and composer Kenji Golden was named the recipient of the 2024 Theodora Zavin scholarship. The Zavin scholarship was established in 2005 to honor the memory of Theodora Zavin, Founding President of the BMI Foundation and an esteemed senior executive at BMI for over five decades. The $2,000 scholarship is given annually to a graduating senior at LaGuardia High School in recognition of excellence in composition. Golden has written for the LaGuardia High School New Music Ensemble and for his rock band Matter of Minutes, in which he plays bass guitar. He plans to attend New York University for violin performance in the fall, where he will continue to compose.
Finally, the second annual Kavi Ohri Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Samuel Rodriguez Sandoval, a composer and violinist graduating from the Special Music School, based on his essay on how his identity has influenced his approach to his goals and dreams. Created in memory of BMI Senior Director of Business Development and Account Relations Kavi Ohri, the Kavi Ohri Memorial Scholarship is granted annually to a New York City high school senior with plans to attend college in a music-related major. Sandoval recently immigrated to the US in 2023 from Ecuador, where he studied at the National Mejía Institute and the National Conservatory of Ecuador from 2017-2022, following unrest in his home country of Venezuela, where he studied at the Vicente Emilio Sojo Conservatory and the Venezuelan Choir and Orchestral System.
About the BMI Foundation
The BMI Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 to encourage the creation, performance, and study of American music. The Foundation’s programs include competitive scholarships for songwriters and composers, operating grants for nonprofit arts presenters, and support for innovative music education initiatives in schools and communities across the country. For more information about the work of the Foundation, please visit our website at www.bmifoundation.org. For exclusive news and content, follow @bmifoundation on Twitter and Instagram, and like BMI Foundation on Facebook.
