Jacobs receives $1 million to create fellowships

The Georgina Joshi Foundation gave a gift of $1 million to the Jacobs School of Music to institute two new fellowships for IU students studying music.

The gift was given in memory of Georgina Joshi, an IU graduate student who died in a plane crash along with four other Jacobs students three years ago.

Joshi received her bachelor’s degree in music from the Royal College of Music in London and was pursuing a master’s degree in voice at IU.

Gwyn Richards, dean of the Jacobs school of Music, said one fellowship, the Georgina Joshi International Fellowship, will be awarded to a graduating Jacobs voice student and will fund two years of study in the Artist Diploma program at the Benjamin Britten International Opera School at the Royal College  of Music.

The other, the Georgina Joshi Fellowship, will be awarded to a graduate student to assist with full-time study at the Jacobs School of Music.

“These fellowships provide two types of opportunities for two different types of
individuals,” Richards said.

Glenda Lamont, treasurer for the Georgina Joshi Foundation, said the fellowships were the vision of Joshi’s mother, Louise Addicott, to honor her daughter and facilitate a relationship between the Royal College and
IU.

Addicott was also killed in a plane crash less than two years after her daughter’s death.

“Louise felt very strongly about her children studying at least a semester abroad and felt it was important that other students have that opportunity as well,” Lamont said.

Richards said he is in talks with the Royal College, and they are still working out the details about who will select the recipients.

Richards said it will consist of a combination of IU and Royal College faculty that knew Georgina.

The fellowships will be available starting in fall 2010, he said.

Applications for the fellowships will be available online at www.thegeorginajoshifoundation.org, and those who apply will be selected based on essays, interviews and a recital.

Lamont said the selection committee will look for traits that Georgina possessed: enthusiasm, modesty and interest in helping and collaborating with others.

“Georgina had a wonderful experience at the Jacobs School of Music, and these fellowships will give opportunities to other students by letting them focus on their studies without worrying about any tuition,” Lamont said.

Richards said everything was made possible by Addicott’s initial idea to make a difference in the school and the lives of IU students.

“This brings us closer to an international institution that is known around the world,” Richards said.