GRU goes behind the music with donor and student scholar

The Gala Concert being held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8, in Georgia Regents University ‘s Maxwell Theatre will be more than just an evening filled with great music. This will be an opportunity for the community to support music scholarships that will benefit GRU’s young musical talent such as flutist and freshmen music education major Almedias Serrano.

Serrano is the recipient of the Mary S. Byrd Music Scholarship and says the funding was just the support he needed to help him on his academic journey at GRU.

“Aside from the HOPE Scholarship and the Pell Grant, I didn’t have many scholarships when I making plans to be a part of the music program,” said Serrano. ” So, this scholarship helped me to not have to use my personal money and Ms. Byrd’s generosity shows just how much she believes in the students as well as in the education we are receiving at GRU.”

Mary Byrd has been supporting the university since the late ’80s and says there is nothing more rewarding than giving to an institution making an impact on the community.

“Giving back to the students feels like a 100 Christmas mornings, because it is so very rewarding to know you are helping someone,” said Byrd.

A pre-concert reception will be held at 6 p.m. backstage at the theatre. Tickets for the reception and concert are $20 per person or $35 for two people. Tickets for the concert only are free for students with a valid ID and $15 for the general public. All proceeds from the event will go toward music scholarships for GRU students.

The Gala Concert is one of three events featured in the institution’s Classical Music Concert Series. Other programs include the Wycliffe and Friends Holiday Concert on Dec. 1 and Concerto Competition Winners’ Concert scheduled for April 21, 2016. All of these programs are being sponsored by the GRU Department of Music and Georgia Public Broadcasting.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Maxwell Theatre Box Office at 706-667-4100 or visit gru.edu/maxwelltheatre.