MidAmerica Productions Announces Inaugural Recipients of the Peter Tiboris Legacy Scholarship

Four ensembles will receive $2,500 scholarship credits supporting upcoming performance residencies; applications are now open for the 2028 scholarship, with a $20,000 award

MidAmerica Productions has announced four recipients of the inaugural Peter Tiboris Legacy Scholarship, established in memory of the company’s founder to honor his lifelong commitment to musical excellence and his belief that financial circumstances should never prevent deserving performers from pursuing meaningful artistic ventures. Each of the four selected ensembles will receive a $2,500 scholarship credit toward an upcoming MidAmerica Productions performance residency, for a total of $10,000 in scholarship awards.

The 2026 recipients are:
• St. John Music Ministry / Project Unity, Grand Prairie & Southlake, TX (Clark Joseph, Director)
• St. Columba Anglican School Chamber Choir, Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia (Isabella Mistry, Director of Performing Arts)
• Texas City High School Choir, Texas City, TX (Alex Musgrove, Director)
• Windsong, Cleveland’s Feminist Chorus, Cleveland, OH (Jessica Gallagher-Steuver, Artistic Director)

The recipients represent a diverse community of musicians, from a Texas church music ministry and community choir to a regional school choir in Australia, a public high school choir on the Gulf Coast, and an LGBTQIA+-inclusive chorus in Cleveland. Each ensemble’s application demonstrated how access to significant performance opportunities can strengthen musical development, foster community, and expand personal and professional perspectives for singers.

“We received an overwhelming number of thoughtful and inspiring applications, making the selection process incredibly challenging,” said Stephanie Tiboris, daughter of Peter Tiboris and Senior Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer at MidAmerica Productions. “My father dedicated his life to bringing people together through music, creating extraordinary opportunities for musicians, and inspiring others to pursue their artistic dreams. Reading the stories, experiences, and reflections shared by our applicants was a beautiful reminder of the impact he had on so many lives.” She continued, “This scholarship is more than a financial award. It is a celebration of my father’s passion for music, his belief in the power of artistic collaboration, and his commitment to creating opportunities for others. We are truly delighted that these groups will be part of carrying that legacy forward.”

Peter Tiboris founded MidAmerica Productions after bringing a group of university and community singers to Lincoln Center in 1984. That performance helped launch his vision of creating avenues for ensembles to perform major works with orchestras on prestigious stages. This scholarship continues that mission by helping reduce participation costs for ensembles and their members.

For Clark Joseph and St. John Music Ministry / Project Unity, the award carries particular personal significance. Joseph first met Peter Tiboris in the early 1980s when Tiboris was his college choral director at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Joseph sang in the original choir that first performed at Lincoln Center in 1984, and reconnected with his former teacher four decades later through the American Choral Directors Association. Their renewed collaboration led to guest-conducting residencies with MidAmerica Productions at Carnegie Hall and with MidAm International in Florence, Italy. The scholarship funds will help his singers participate in their upcoming 2027 New York City residency, extending the same spirit of generosity that shaped Joseph’s own musical journey.

For St. Columba Anglican School in Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia, the scholarship will help a regional chamber choir pursue an international performance venture that would otherwise present substantial financial challenges for students and their families. Alex Musgrove of Texas City High School Choir hopes to introduce his students to new artistic and cultural experiences while expanding their understanding of music’s ability to build community. Windsong, Cleveland’s Feminist Chorus, will be able to direct additional support toward members who face financial barriers to participating in a Carnegie Hall performance during New York City Pride weekend. Together, these ensembles demonstrate how a scholarship can reach beyond the concert stage, support young musicians, strengthen communities, and make participation possible for singers who might otherwise be unable to attend.

MidAmerica Productions is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the 2028 Peter Tiboris Legacy Scholarship, with a total scholarship award of $20,000. The scholarship supports eligible ensembles participating in MidAmerica Productions programs and performance residencies. Awards are provided as credits applied toward a group’s MidAmerica Productions invoice, helping reduce participation-related expenses.

To apply for 2028, visit www.midamerica-music.com/scholarship

Through the Peter Tiboris Legacy Scholarship, MidAmerica Productions continues its founder’s commitment to artistic excellence, mentorship, and access to transformative musical experiences.

About MidAmerica Productions and MidAm International
Founded by Conductor, Music Educator, and Entrepreneur Peter Tiboris over 40 years ago, MidAmerica Productions has brought together conductors, soloists, and choral and instrumental ensembles from the US and abroad to appear at New York’s top venues, including Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, Weill Recital Hall, and Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall; and Alice Tully Hall and David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. Additionally, MidAmerica Productions has presented concerts in numerous US cities and in countries throughout the world, including Greece, England, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Italy, France, Portugal, Sweden, and Russia. MidAmerica Productions’ concerts have showcased choral groups singing oratorios with talented conductors, full orchestra, and professional soloists; individual instrumental and choral groups performing as part of the Ensemble Spotlight Series; and solo recitals. Diverse programs have included Madrigal Festivals, Vocal Jazz Festivals, National Wind Ensemble, National Festival Youth Orchestra, and Sweet Adelines. Among the renowned guest conductors who have led MidAmerica’s concerts are Sir John Rutter (who has conducted 150 concerts in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall), Sherrill Milnes, Lukas Foss, Helmuth Rilling, H. Robert Reynolds, JoAnne Falletta, Michael Morgan, and Jonathan Willcocks. More than 900 conductors have conducted on MidAmerica’s series in New York and abroad, sharing the stage with 1,500 solo artists from the world’s greatest opera companies and concert stages, and 4,000 choral ensembles from the US and abroad. There have been more than 300 youth and collegiate orchestras as well as 185 youth and collegiate bands, jazz bands, and wind ensembles.