Assistant Professor of Viola Lauren Hodges, with assistance from Assistant Professor of Piano Jasmin Arakawa, was recently awarded the SEC Visiting Faculty Travel Grant. The two will use this grant to give recitals and masterclasses at various universities outside of Florida.
“This will be our first time performing as a duo,” Arakawa said. “Dr. Hodges and I have performed the Schumann Piano Quartet together during Gator Chamber Music Institute this past summer with Dr. Lower on violin and Dr. Thomas on cello; it was a lot of fun. I'm thrilled to work with her on this project performing works written for viola and piano by American composers.”
To enhance collaboration that stimulates scholarly initiatives between universities, the program offers faculty members from each Southeastern Conference university the opportunity to exchange ideas, develop grant proposals and conduct research. Hodges said this grant gives her the opportunity to unite multiple universities and open doors for communication and opportunity.
“This project will generate a nice exchange between the University of Florida, the University of Georgia and the University of South Carolina, since both viola professors would like to schedule a similar visit to UF in the upcoming years,” Hodges said. “It will benefit recruiting and student opportunities for all three schools.”
