The Christopher R. McCormick '15 Endowment for Musical Achievement and Potential

About The Prize

The Christopher R. McCormick '15 Memorial Endowment for Musical Achievement and Potential, established with gifts from his family and friends, will honor his memory by rewarding two of Susquehanna University's most accomplished and promising music students annually.

The first award honors a student whose work represents the highest achievement in a body of work, project, performance, composition, or production. This segment of the award is inspired by Christopher's one-act opera, In A Grove, that he composed, produced, directed, and staged during his senior year at Susquehanna.

The second award provides a scholarship for a summer music festival or other off-campus enrichment program, awarded to a student of high potential in any of the music disciplines. Christopher gained wonderful inspiration, experience, and connections through programs in Japan, Italy, Maine, New York, and Connecticut.

Awards will be determined annually by a committee of the music faculty.

About Christopher R. McCormick '15

Christopher, or Kris, as he was known, was a vibrant member of Susquehanna's Department of Music, where he earned a BM in composition in 2015. As a composer and vocal performer, he established himself as an innovative, enthusiastic participant and leader, always with good humor and generosity. Highlights were his creation of a one-act opera, In A Grove - based on a book by Joseph Maltese '15 - which he composed, produced, and directed with the talents of many fellow student performers and technicians. He was thrilled to sing the title role in the department's production of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, though he was just as happy in the ensembles of other shows, or blending in with the University Choir, Chamber Singers, and his Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity brothers. Kris went on to earn an MM in composition from the Peabody Institute of Music of The Johns Hopkins University.

At the time of his untimely death from a sudden illness in 2020, he was a professional music teacher, composer, performer and producer in Brooklyn, New York, often collaborating with colleagues, friends, and mentors from Susquehanna.

McCormick Prize Recipients

Supporters of the McCormick Prize

Susquehanna University is grateful for the following alumni, faculty, staff, friends, and family who have made generous contributions to The Christopher R. McCormick '15 Memorial Endowment for Musical Achievement and Potential. Their collective philanthropy is a wonderful expression of the love and respect that the Susquehanna community had for Kris, and the awards distributed by the fund will ensure that his legacy persists within the Department of Music in perpetuity.