Scholarships

Handel Week Engages young musicians with Scholarship Award Programs!

Our mission is, above all, to encourage musicians and audience members alike to enjoy Handel's works. To that end, we always want to introduce our favorite composer to new people. Two of the ways we do that are our scholarship programs for high school choral students and for recent college graduates pursuing a musical career that includes conducting.

Suzanne and Charles Wells Choral Scholarship

We welcome our new Charles and Sue Wells Choral Scholar, Isabel Weaver! She will be joining the other members of the Handel Week Chorus in the presentation of our third concert. She has already begun rehearsing with the other members of the chorus. This is a golden opportunity for her to work as a chorister at a professional level. Here is a bit about Isabel:

Isabel Weaver is currently a senior at Willowbrook High School. She is a part of her school's choir (as Soprano/Alto president), as well as in thevocal jazz, rock band, and theater programs. Isabel was ranked the top Soprano l in district for Illinois Local Music Educators Association, and is going to Peoria in January to sing in the Illinois Music Educator's Association Honors choir at state. Isabel plans to continue singing in choir after high school while in nursing school. Welcome, Isabel to the Handel Week family!

Under the direction of Dr. Dennis Northway, the recipient of the Wells Choral Scholarship will get an insider's perspective on the life of a professional musician, joining the critically acclaimed Handel Week ensemble for rehearsals and the performance of a single masterwork by George Frideric Handel during the Handel Week Festival. "This scholarship is a fantastic way both to express our gratitude to one of our organization's founders and to recognize the talented young musicians in our community who are the future of classical music," said Northway. The Handel Week Festival is committed to the nuturing of young classical music vocalists.

To be eligible for the scholarship competition, candidates must be in their sophomore, junior or senior year in high school, recommended by their choral director, music teacher or another professional musician and be in good academic standing. Candidates should have also basic musical skills, such as the ability to sightread, and have some experience in choral singing. Further information will be provided prior to the audition.

Scholarship rules and application form are available here.

Previous Awardees

Please click the button below to see previous awardees.
Previous Suzanne and Charles Wells Choral Scholarship Awardees

The Mark and Randi Ravitts Woodworth Award for Young Conductors

We are delighted to introduce you to our 2026 conducting Intern, Eli Zelman. Here is a little about him:

Eli Zelman brings a well-rounded background in conducting, music education, and orchestral performance. He currently serves as Assistant Conductor, Production Assistant, Assistant Librarian, and Musician Liaison for The Hamptons Festival of Music in East Hampton, NY, and holds the positions of Assistant Conductor and Assistant Librarian with the Atlanta Musicians' Orchestra. In addition, Zelman works as the Academy Development & Production Assistant at The Art of Conducting Academy and is the Principal Guest Director of Concordi Laetitia in Atlanta, GA.

His past roles include Library Assistant with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Coach for the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra. Eli has taken part in numerous conducting workshops and festivals, such as the International Conducting Workshop & Festival, the Conductor's Institute of South Carolina, and masterclasses in Chicago and at USC.

Zelman has been teaching violin, music theory, and history privately since 2017, while also holding several leadership positions in the Georgia State University Symphony Orchestra, including Student President, Concertmaster, Associate Concertmaster, and Principal Second Violin.

His extensive accolades include 1st and Platinum Prizes in conducting and orchestral competitions, such as the New York Classical Music Competition, VanBach International Music Competition, and the World's Best Musicians Competition. Zelman is currently pursuing an MM in Orchestral Conducting at the Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University, after earning a BM in Violin Performance from Georgia State University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude.

The Application Form is available HERE

Previous Awardees

Please click the button below to see previous awardees.
Previous Randi Ravitts Woodworth Young Conductors Awardees