Luke Brann wins 2025 Paul Rolland Memorial String Award

Luke Brann wins 2025 Paul Rolland Memorial String Award

Congratulations to Luke Brann, winner of the 2025 Paul Rolland Memorial String Award, an internal School of Music violin competition held on Friday, November 7. Luke is a senior majoring in music performance and chemical engineering. He is a former student of Nelson Lee and currently studies with Dr. Mélanie Clapiès. He played the Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 2 in A minor, IV. Allegro along with Sibelius’s Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47, I: Allegro Moderato.

The judges were:

David Commanday, Orchestra Director at Eastern Illinois University and the Heartland Festival Orchestra
Igor Kalnin, Violin faculty at Illinois State University
Lee Joiner, Violin Faculty at Wheaton College Conservatory 

The Paul Rolland Memorial Violin Award has been established in honor of Paul Rolland, Professor of Music at the University of Illinois from 1945 until 1978, when he suddenly died of a massive heart attack. He was teaching up to the last few hours before his death. He was a most dedicated leader for better string education in the United States and throughout the world. He gained world fame through his many publications, lectures, seminars and workshops. His work and pedagogical principals have been adopted in many continents: throughout Europe, in Australia and New Zealand, and even in mainland China, as well as most of the United States and Canada. He was the recipient of many awards and recognitions, including the Eugène Ysaÿe Medal.

It was Paul Rolland’s wish that his contributions to the string world should continue after his death in the form of a scholarship for a talented and deserving student, to be given annually at this beloved school where he taught for almost 33 years, never, ever missing any lessons, devoting his energies to producing a whole army of distinguished teachers and performers.

More info on the Paul Rolland Memorial String Award can be found here. We extend our thanks to all of the students who participated in the competition.