the James Tannenbaum Memorial Scholarship

The James Tannenbaum Memorial Scholarship is an endowed fund created in 2005 (and subsequently revised in 2010 and 2017) with a generous gift by Dr. Michele Mills, honoring the memory of her late husband and teacher. James Tannenbaum (1944 – 2002), was a member of the distinguished Cleveland Institute of Music conservatory piano faculty for over thirty years. He was a renowned pianist and dedicated teacher whose performances, master classes, and adjudication at competitions contributed to the musical life of universities and communities in northeast Ohio and surrounding states, as well as numerous locations throughout the country. Devoted to high standards of pianism, readings of works faithful to an urtext score, as well as beauty and expression, Mr. Tannenbaum performed imaginative new recital programs annually throughout his life.

He appeared as a soloist in concertos with numerous orchestras throughout the region, and was a stalwart on the Cleveland Institute of Music distinguished Wednesday Night Concert Series. He appeared in collaboration with some of the finest musicians in the country such as Eleanor Steber, Helen Vanni, Paul Sperry, Maurice Sharp and Franklin Cohen. In 1991, the Ohio House of Representatives recognized his contributions with a special proclamation celebrating 25 years of extraordinary music making in Ohio.

As a student, he was a soloist with the Michigan State singers and was among the finest young pianists invited to participate in the first two years of the Blossom Chamber Music Festival. Although he studied piano with a number of distinguished teachers, he was quick to credit Victor Babin, himself a student of renowned pedagogue Artur Schnabel, as his primary mentor and influence. Mr. Tannenbaum’s own studies at CIM were strongly supported by honors and awards in the form of scholarships due to high performance in both scholastics as well as pianism. He was the recipient of the prestigious Beryl Rubinstein Memorial Scholarship, first prizes won at various competitions including the Battle Creek International Competition, Michigan State University Concerto Competition, the Cleveland Institute of Music Piano Solo Competition, and the Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition.

Mr. Tannenbaum considered the music of the composer Mozart to be the most challenging and revealing in both the technical and expressive skills of any performer, thus the music of this composer is especially appropriate in memory of his own devotion to that repertoire both as a performer and teacher.

The James Tannenbaum Memorial Scholarship is designated as a scholarship to an outstanding incoming freshman, sophomore or junior piano student majoring in performance, accompanying or choral education. The student must hold a 3.2 GPA, be active in solo and ensemble performance, and demonstrate qualities of leadership and citizenship either while in high school or at the university. The amount of the scholarship per student is not to exceed $1,000.

The recipient will be selected by the coordinator of piano studies (or similar position) in collaboration with piano faculty. Scholarships will be announced at the spring honors convocation. Scholarships may be used to support tuition and fees, books or on-campus housing. If no candidate is found that meets the requirements noted above, the award funds for that year shall be returned to the principal.