Jane Fenimore Cello Scholarship

CELLO POWER. COWBOY STYLE.

Please consider supporting the Jane Fenimore Cello Scholarship.

As Dolly Parton said, "Find out who you are and do it on purpose. And do it WITH purpose." These words encapsulate the spirit of the Jane Fenimore Cello Scholarship. A gift to the Fenimore Scholarship fund will encourage young cellists to discover and cultivate their greatness.

The Jane Fenimore Cello Scholarship helps bring exceptional young cellists to the University of Wyoming and supports their growth as musicians, teachers, performers, and members of our community. Your gift directly strengthens the UW cello program and helps ensure that talented students can pursue their musical dreams in Wyoming.

From Laramie to the world

The Cello Studio at University of Wyoming attracts talented cellists from Wyoming, across the United States, and around the world. Over the past 12 years, members of the UW cello studio have come from the heart of Wyoming, neighboring states, and far-away lands, including Bolivia, Armenia, China, Taiwan, Mexico, Spain, and Vietnam.

These extraordinary students bring diverse musical experiences and perspectives to Wyoming while becoming part of a vibrant cello community centered in Laramie. The Fenimore Scholarship has helped make this possible.

Its impact can be seen not only in the classroom and rehearsal hall but on stages. UW cello students have earned national recognition, including having been selected as winners and finalists in the MTNA Young Artists Solo Competition, the Wyoming Symphony Concerto Competition and the Jacoby Competition and have gone on to pursue advanced study, professional performance, teaching, and other careers in music.

The Fenimore Scholarship legacy

We would like to share some impact stories as evidenced by the accomplishments of its recent recipients.

Taryn McJunkin, a 2026 Fenimore Scholarship recipient, was selected from a competitive pool of young cellists from across the United States and internationally to attend the Eastern Festival of Music in North Carolina. As one of only 14 cellists selected, Taryn spent five weeks immersed in intensive study of solo cello repertoire, chamber music, and orchestral performance, working alongside exceptional young musicians and faculty artists.

Kiara Sheffield, also a 2026 Fenimore recipient, will complete her graduate studies at the University of Wyoming this year. She has already become a permanent member of the cello section of the Cheyenne Symphony. In addition, she selected as one of only 12 cellists from across the country to participate in the six-week Round Top Festival Institute in Texas, where she studied with distinguished cellists including Jesus Castro-Balbi, Emilio Colón, and Juliette Herlin.
These are more than impressive résumés. They are examples of what happens when a talented student is given the opportunity to pursue ambitious musical goals.

A scholarship that changes lives

Former Fenimore Scholarship recipient Thu Vo, who received the scholarship from 2017-2021, writes: "Your donation will help us ensure talented cellists who apply to UW Music department will have a chance to live their dream as a musician, as it did for me, changing my life forever."

Today, Thu's words continue to capture the heart of the Fenimore Scholarship. Every gift helps create opportunities for the next generation of cellists who come to Wyoming.

Honoring Jane Fenimore

The scholarship honors Jane Fenimore, a musician and music teacher who grew up in Laramie and attended the University of Wyoming before moving east to become a professor and music educator. Her legacy continues through the students who study cello at UW today. Supporting the Fenimore Scholarship is a way of carrying that legacy forward, connecting Jane's life in Wyoming with the young musicians who are building their own musical futures here. You can learn more about Jane Fenimore and the scholarship through the University of Wyoming's scholarship information.

Your gift makes a difference

Every contribution to the Jane Fenimore Cello Scholarship helps us recruit and support talented young musicians and build an even stronger cello community at the University of Wyoming. Last year's UW Giving Day campaign raised nearly $9,000 for the Fenimore Cello Scholarship. We are deeply grateful to everyone who made that possible.

Now, we invite you to help us continue that momentum. Whether you give $25, $100, $500, or more, your support helps a young cellist to reach for the stars.
Thank you for believing in the students of the UW cello studio, for investing in music education, and for helping us carry Jane Fenimore's legacy forward.

Please support the Jane Fenimore Cello Scholarship and help the next generation of Wyoming Cowboy cellists.