Ph.D. student in Musicology, Cornell University
NEWS AND UPDATES
Active as a researcher, educator, and musician, Benjamin P. Skoronski is dedicated to the advancement of musical scholarship. This selection of highlights and updates on his research, creative activity, and awards traces the trajectory of his career.
STARTING PH.D. STUDIES IN MUSICOLOGY AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY
August 22, 2022
Skoronski will be beginning his Ph.D. studies in Musicology at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. He was also awarded a Sage Fellowship, an academic award for graduate students in the arts and humanities.
21ST QUINQUENNIAL CONGRESS OF THE INTERNATIONAL MUSICOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Athens, Greece, August 22–26, 2022
Skoronski will be presenting his paper “Hidden in Plain Sight: Alma Gluck and the First Performance of Schoenberg in America” at the 21st Quinquennial Congress of the International Musicological Society in Athens, Greece, August 22–26.
48TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE SOCIETY FOR AMERICAN MUSIC
Tucson, Arizona, March 11–13, 2022
Skoronski will be presenting his paper “Walking Forward into the Future: Modernism, Music Appreciation, and Marion Rous in ‘What Next in Music?’” at the 48th annual conference of the Society for American Music in Tucson, AZ, March 11–13.
2022 ROCKY MOUNTAIN MUSIC SCHOLARS CONFERENCE
Boulder, Colorado. March 11–12, 2022
Skoronski will be presenting his paper “Legacy, Memory, and Erasure: A History of the Dyer Memorial at Rollins College” at the 2022 annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain chapter of the American Musicological Society on March 11–12.
2021–22 FRED FOX SCHOOL OF MUSIC DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD
Tucson, Arizona, January 21, 2022
The Music Advisory Board of the Fred Fox School of Music awarded Skoronski with its annual Distinguished Graduate Student Award. The mission of the Music Advisory Board is to support the Fred Fox School of Music in achieving excellence in its teaching, programs, research, creative activities, performances, facilities, and academic and community outreach missions as one of the nation’s leading Schools of Music. The Music Advisory Board will accomplish this by advocating a leadership position in the University, community, state and nation; by providing advice and counsel to the School; and by generating new resources through personal giving and fundraising.
PROGRAM ANNOTATOR, TUCSON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Tucson, Arizona, September 2021–present
Skoronski was hired as a program annotator for the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, writing program notes for the orchestra's repertoire.
2021 AMS ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHAPTER MUSIC SCHOLARS CONFERENCE
Greeley, Colorado, April 9–10, 2021
Skoronski presented his paper "'An Anatomy of Modernism': Marion Rous and 'What Next in Music?'" at the 2021 American Musicological Society Rocky Mountain Chapter Music Scholars Conference on April 9–10.
2021 AMS SOUTHERN CHAPTER ANNUAL MEETING
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, February 19–20, 2021
Skoronski presented his paper Echoes of Aloysius: Examining Fugal Form in Bach’s BWV 856 in Light of Gradus ad Parnassum at the 2021 American Musicological Society Southern Chapter Annual Meeting. It will be the first presentation of Session 4: Analysis & Evolutions, starting at 9:00 a.m. CST on 02/20/2021.
2020 MEDICI SCHOLAR AWARD
Tucson, Arizona, May 15, 2020
The Medici Scholars Program is funded by donations to the University of Arizona College of Fine Arts from members of the Medici Circle to support talented young artists and scholars who show outstanding academic and artistic potential in their areas of study. The program provides students with funding to pursue an educational summer project.
Skoronski used the grant to research American pianist and pedagogue Marion Rous, an advocate for modernism through the music appreciation movement in the 20th-century United States.
2020 UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE STUDENT MUSIC CONFERENCE
Tucson, Arizona, February 28–29, 2020
Skoronski served as session chair to the final session of the Fifth Annual University of Arizona Graduate Student Music Conference, titled "Rhythm, Meter, and Form."
2019 CONDUCTING INTERNSHIP WITH THE READING PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Reading, Pennsylvania, January–May 2019
Skoronski was chosen to serve as conducting intern for the Reading Philharmonic Orchestra for the 2019 spring concert season. This was an opportunity not only for artistic growth, but also to give back to the Reading community, a vibrant supporter of the arts.
2018-2019 PRESSER SCHOLAR AWARD
Kutztown, Pennsylvania, June 19, 2019
Funded through a grant from The Presser Foundation, the Presser Scholar Award is awarded to an outstanding music student finishing his or her junior year and at least one-third of the student's credits over four years must be outside the field of music.
The Presser Foundation was established in 1939 under the Deeds of Trust and Will of the late Theodore Presser. It is one of the few private foundations in the United States dedicated solely to music education and music philanthropy. The Presser Foundation supports music performance and education through undergraduate and graduate scholar awards, operating and program support for music organizations, capital grants for music building projects, and assistance to retired music teachers.