Charles Amirkhanian
In 2016, a generous Livermore couple donated $100,000 to the Pedrozzi Foundation to establish and endow the
Charles Amirkhanian Music Scholarship. Annually, a $5,000 scholarship is awarded to a Livermore graduate pursuing a degree in the music field.
The philanthropic and thoughtful anonymous community members are impressed with the Pedrozzi Foundation’s mission of creating a career and college bound culture for Livermore students and found a match between their passion for music and philanthropic goals. They named the scholarship in honor of Charles Amirkhanian, a native Californian, composer, percussionist, sound poet and radio producer who co-founded the Other Minds Music Festival in 1992. As the Festival’s Executive and Artistic Director, Mr. Amirkhanian is internationally recognized for his dedication to the encouragement and propagation of contemporary music in all its forms for audiences of diverse traditions, generations and cultural backgrounds. Mr. Amirkhanian received a B.A. from Fresno State University and an M.A. from San Francisco State University.
“We are honored and grateful to receive this generous donation,” said Kathy Coyle, Pedrozzi Foundation Board President. “This scholarship is an appropriate way for these donors to honor Charles Amirkhanian’s contributions to music and his encouragement of talented musicians.”
In addition to pursuing a graduate or undergraduate degree in music, eligibility for the Charles Amirkhanian Music Scholarship is the same as for other Pedrozzi Scholarships – applicants must be a graduate of a Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District high school and meet the minimum GPA requirements. Interested applicants should complete either the Undergraduate or Graduate Pedrozzi Scholarship application, indicating their field of study and sharing why they are planning to earn a degree in the music field. If the recipient is enrolled in the San Francisco State University School of Music, Charles Amirkhanian’s alma mater, the scholarship will be matched by SF State School of Music.
Charles Amirkhanian Music Scholarship Recipients:
Austin West – 2017 Pedrozzi Scholar
Chelsea Warner – 2018 Pedrozzi Scholar
David Davisson – 2019 Pedrozzi Scholar
