Shared by the Theater and Music Departments, the G. William Hume Fellowship in the Performing Arts was made possible by a generous gift from the G. William Hume Trust.
Bill Hume ’50 M’52 taught music, speech, and history at Occidental before being named director of Thorne Hall in 1958. He spent almost 20 years at Occidental, also serving as director of student activities.
The Hume Fellowship provides a rich experience for Oxy students. In addition to the public performances given by these exceptional artists, the Fellowship funding supports residency activities in which the visiting artists work with our students in master classes, writing and performance workshops, and class visits. These high-impact opportunities enhance the educational and artistic experience of students in music, theater and across the campus.
Previous Hume Fellows in Music include percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, mezzo-sopranos Jennifer Larmore and Frederica von Stade, the Marian Anderson String Quartet, jazz vibraphonist Stefon Harris, pianist Awadagin Pratt, Jeffrey Kahane and members of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, pianist Vijay Iyer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, and, most recently, bassist-singer-songwriter Esperanza Spalding. Hume Fellows in Theater have included Culture Clash, Roger Guenveur Smith, Will Power, Daniel Alexander Jones (aka Jomama Jones), Universes and Actors From The London Stage.