Congratulations to Eastman first-year PhD Theory student Brena Zhao for winning the 2026 Presser Graduate Music Award. This prestigious honor supports exceptional graduate music students with the potential to make distinguished contribution to the field and includes a substantial grant from the Presser Foundation for a professional-development project. Zhao will conduct in situ study of gamelan music in Bali, resulting in an online platform, Gong Kebyar Online, featuring transcriptions, pedagogical resources, and interactive compositional tools.
Visit here to learn more about the Presser Foundation.