Vashti Baluch, a junior piano pedagogy and piano performance major at Shorter University, has been selected as the recipient of the 2017 Floride Dean Award from the Georgia Federation of Music Clubs.

This prestigious $2000 award is a part of a state-wide competition, in which students send in a DVD of themselves playing two piano pieces. One of these pieces must be by an American composer, and the other one must be from either the Classical or Romantic period.

Baluch chose to perform Ballade L.70 by Claude Debussy and Desperate Measures (Paganini Variations) Op.48 by Robert Muczynski for her submission.

“I was completely shocked when I heard that I won the award!” She said, “It felt good to know that my all hard work and talents were being recognized. I am very thankful to be the recipient of this award!”

Dr. Jerico Vasquez, associate professor of music and coordinator of keyboard studies, is Baluch’s piano professor. “I’m extremely proud of Vashti for winning the Floride Dean Award,” he said. “This is a testament to her hard work and commitment to excellence as a musician.”

Baluch has also received the William and Mary Anne Knight Performers Scholarship, the Natalie Dyer Reynolds Scholarship, the Dean Scholarship and the Academic Excellence Scholarship while studying at Shorter. She is the daughter of Shelley and Issa Baluch of Hendersonville, N.C.

Written by Public Relations Intern Meredith Howard

Founded in 1873, Shorter University is a Christian university committed to excellence in education. The Princeton Review annually includes Shorter on its list of best Southeastern Colleges. The university offers traditional bachelor’s degree program in 40 areas of study, online courses and degree programs, undergraduate programs for working adults, and master’s programs. Learn more about Shorter at www.shorter.edu.

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