Three UNCSA students named semifinalists for Fulbright fellowships
Students from the School of Music have been named semifinalists for prestigious Fulbright fellowships, which support postgraduate international cultural exchange through teaching, the arts and research.
“We're thrilled to witness our students achieve these coveted accolades as they prepare to step into the professional realm,” stated Dean Rachel Williams, of the Division of Liberal Arts (DLA). “Acknowledgment from such a prestigious organization underscores the caliber of education our institution provides. We eagerly anticipate witnessing the impactful work our students will produce as a result of their participation.”
Graduate student Sarah Core of Mesa, Arizona, advanced as a semifinalist after proposing a study on the practice of Clara Wieck Schumann’s piano compositions in the Creative & Performing Arts category of the Fulbright’s Open Study/Research Award track.
A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute Fellow Robbie Raso of Conway, Pennsylvania, and fourth-year Music student Bentley Dorics of Leonardtown, Maryland, advanced to the finalist stage for English Teaching Assistant awards in Italy and Germany, respectively.
More on the UNCSA Fulbright Semifinalists
Sarah Core
A pianist, collaborative artist and teacher, Sarah Core is currently a graduate piano performance student studying with Dmitri Shteinberg. She recently completed a bachelor’s degree in music theory and composition at Arizona State University (ASU); graduating magna cum laude from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts as well as Barrett the Honors College. She is also a private teacher at St. Mary’s Music Academy and the UNCSA Community Music School. Some highlights of Core’s career include earning a President’s Scholarship from ASU, an honorable mention both from the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition in 2022 and North Carolina Music Teachers Association 2023 Competition; and attending multiple festivals such as the Oracle Piano Society Chamber Festival, Mozarteum International Summer Academy, Eastern Music Festival and more.
Robbie Raso
Baritone Robbie Raso is a graduate student in the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute, studying with Marilyn Taylor. Raso is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music. In the summer of 2023, Raso performed the roles of Enrico in "Lucia di Lammermoor" and Dandini in "La Cenerentola" with Mediterranean Opera Festival in Caltagirone, Sicily. This season at UNCSA, Raso sang the role of Enrico in "Maria di Rohan" and will sing the role of Marcaniello in "Lo frate 'nnamorato" in April.
Bentley Dorics
Bentley Dorics is a student in the voice program with a minor in German studies. She has performed in the Undergraduate Opera Scenes as Sandrina in Mozart’s “La finta giardiniera” with an upcoming role as Lauretta in Bizet’s “Le Docteur Miracle” this April. When not performing, she can be found engaging with her community, such as singing with the choir of Home Moravian Church under Director Glenn Siebert, a Music faculty member, or serving local elementary schools through ArtistCorps.
The 2023-24 semifinalist results mark another banner season for the recently rekindled UNCSA Fulbright program, which is administered by the Division of Liberal Arts (DLA). In 2022-23, two UNCSA students received awards through the Fulbright Austria program and one advanced to the semifinalist stage for an Open Study/Research fellowship in Thailand. DLA faculty members Andrew G. Britt and Hans Gabriel work closely with prospective Fulbright applicants at each stage of the process. The 2023-24 Fulbright Campus Committee consists of School of Music String Department Chair Kevin Lawrence, School of Music Woodwind Department Chair Stephanie Patterson, School of Drama Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Entrepreneurship Krisha Marcano, and School of Dance faculty member Abigail Yager.
More about the U.S. Fulbright Program
Since 1946 the Department of State’s Fulbright Program has been the flagship international educational exchange opportunity sponsored by the U.S. government. The U.S. Student Fulbright Program is the largest U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. Applicants pursue one of three categories of awards, including English Teaching Assistantships and Creative & Performing Arts through the Open Study/Research Award track, in which applicants propose their own independent projects of research and study. Students and alumni are eligible to apply.
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February 25, 2026