The Reading Community Singers (RCS) is pleased to award their 2024 Scholarship to Melrose resident Camille Hodgkins. RCS awards a scholarship annually to a qualified area student furthering their education in some aspect of the Musical Arts.
A graduate of Melrose High School, Ms. Hodgkins is currently studying classical vocal performance for coloratura soprano at the University of Massachusetts Amherst under the instruction of Dr. Jamie-Rose Guarrine. As a third-generation musician, she has been enthusiastically involved in the vocal arts from a very young age. At 15, she placed in the 1st Honors bracket in the Crescendo Piano Competition, giving her the opportunity to play her selected piece at Carnegie Hall. Throughout her time in middle and high school, she was accepted into the MMEA Junior, Senior, and All State Choirs, where a lot of her most happy choral memories were made, including singing with the All State Chorus at Symphony Hall in Boston. By senior year at Melrose High, she performed her most challenging (and favorite) musical theatre role as Carlotta in “Phantom of the Opera”. The costumes, hilarious “opera diva” moments, and vocal thrills associated with the role piqued her love of operatic performance, which ultimately led to her decision to pursue a musical career.
Since 2022, Ms. Hodgkins has been a member of the UMass Chamber Choir, and some memorable performances include the Mozart Requiem and the Bach B Minor Mass, among other exciting works. She is also actively involved in the UMass opera program where she has sung pieces by Mozart, Donizetti, and Barber. She is currently a participant in the NATS vocal competition, which is in the process of its second round of deliberation. Her aspirations for the future include becoming a private vocal coach and performer, as well as having a family with whom she can share her musical legacy with.
RCS will present Ms. Hodgkins with her scholarship during their upcoming Spring Concert “Memories of Melody”, on Saturday, May 11th, at Reading High School Auditorium, where she will be the featured guest performer, singing several pieces. Tickets for the Concert are available in advance at www.ReadingCommunitySingers.org/tickets or at the door.
