Amy Zuidema Awarded Frank Huntington Beebe Grant

By Kitty Whalen, May 2, 2022

Amy Zuidema

This prestigious $22,000 grant will support Zuidema’s research in the Netherlands during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Hailing from the shores of West Michigan, Amy Zuidema received her Bachelor of Music from Grand Valley State University. She would then move to New York and earn her Master of Music Performance from Ithaca College while under the guidance of Dr. Richard Faria. With the support of the Beebe Grant, Zuidema will now begin their second Master of Music in New Audiences & Innovative Practice at Prince Claus Conservatoire in Groningen, Netherlands.

Zuidema will study under Dutch bass clarinetist, Fie Schouten, as well as be mentored by the NAIP faculty at Prince Claus. She will continue studying bass clarinet and contemporary music while working on her Professional Integration Project. Zuidema has proposed a practice-based research project focused on the commissioning of underrepresented (BIPOC, LGBTQ+) composers. This project consists of Zuidema interviewing diverse artists on concepts such as tokenization and decolonization. Zuidema wishes to share their research findings, amplify underrepresented voices, and ignite discussions of how individuals and communities can actively work toward making music representative of and accessible to all.

The Frank Huntington Beebe Fund for Musicians was established in 1932 under the terms of the will of Frank Huntington Beebe, a Boston philanthropist interested in music. The purpose of the Fund is to provide fellowships for gifted young musicians, generally performers and composers in classical disciplines, who wish to pursue advanced music study and performance abroad. The Fund provides financial support for round trip transportation, living, and other expenses.