Linehan Scholars | 4th Year
Abigail Chapman (she/her) is an artist from Frederick, Maryland, and studied dance under the mentorship
of Laura Edwards at B. Funk Dance Company. In high school, she was part of The Academy for the Fine
Arts program, and attended The University of the Arts’ Pre-College program studying with prestigious
faculty such as Tommie Waheed-Evans, Shannon Murphy, and Katie Swords. She furthered her studies at
University of Maryland, Baltimore County as a dance major, and is a Linehan Artist Scholar under the
direction of Ann Sofie Clemmensen. While at UMBC, she has received extensive training under the
tutelage of Brandon Russell, Carol Hess, Shaness Kemp, Ann Sofie Clemmensen, and Sandra Lacy. She
was also a featured dancer in Baltimore Dance Project, having performed various works by Shaness
Kemp. Abigail Chapman is excited to be completing her B.A. in Dance studying abroad at the
distinguished University of Roehampton in London, England this fall.
Ida Dierker grew up in Baltimore City as a classically trained pianist, beginning lessons at age 5 with Elena Bogatyreva. She began lessons with Allen Good at the Baltimore School for the Arts TWIGS program in 8th grade, while also continuing lessons with Elena Bogatyreva. For High School she attended Baltimore School for the Arts for classical piano performance. Once at UMBC, she enrolled in the Improvisation Ensemble and began exploring different sound worlds by experimenting with prepared piano. In this process she discovered a fondness for New Music and experimental music, and as a current Senior, she is entering her fifth semester of New Music Ensemble, her 3rd semester of Percussion Ensemble, and her 7th semester of the Improvisation Ensemble at UMBC. Ida began studying piano with Dr. Daniel Pesca and is now in her 7th semester of private lessons with Dr. Teodora Adzharova. In Spring of 2024 she was selected to be a performer for UMBC’s 2024 “Pianorama” concert, performed in UMBC’s Honors Recital, completed her Junior recital, and attended the Nief Norf Summer Program. She is currently preparing for her Senior recital as well as her Undergraduate Research Award presentation, which will be held in the Spring of 2025. Ida is also an incredibly passionate music teacher, giving private piano lessons since 17, she is now an employee at The Music Space and is still teaching lessons from home.
Jack Horvath is a multi-instrumentalist and composer who specializes in the tenor saxophone. He is a Junior at The University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he studies jazz studies and psychology. Last summer, Jack received a Linehan research grant to apprentice with Roberto Romeo, a famous saxophone repairman in New York City. He formally studied music at LaGuardia High School in New York before attending UMBC for his undergraduate degree. He studies under Professor Matt Belzer, a sought-after musician and educator in the Baltimore/DC area. Jack Horvath has been a part of a New York Emmy-nominated production, inducted into the UMBC big band and small groups, and recorded with numerous other musicians in Maryland and New York City.
Petra Janka was born in Veszprem, Hungary. She is currently pursuing two majors at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County: a BFA in Visual Arts with a concentration in graphic design and a BA in Modern Languages and Linguistics. In the Summer of 2023, her paintings were selected for the NextGen 10.0 exhibition. She is a proud fellow of the Linehan Artist Scholar Program, which has become her “artist” family. After graduation, Petra plans to apply to a master’s program and continue developing her skills in graphic design. As her long-term career goal, she would like to work for international non-profit organizations
Ava Jorif is a fourth-year Linehan scholar majoring in music technology. During her time at UMBC, she has worked as an audio engineer for live music at local venues, cooperated with programmers to create soundtracks for video games, and worked alongside various clients as a freelance engineer. She currently works towards furthering her understanding of music production and sound design for video games.
Lilli Malone (they/she) is a Baltimore native and local theatre maker. They are currently seeking dual degrees in Theatre Design and Production and History, as well as a minor in Medieval and Early Modern Studies. Lilli grew up surrounded by musical theatre and Shakespeare but found their passion for theatre in high school when they signed up to run the soundboard for Fat Pig. Since then, they have found a concentration in costume design and have worked on several UMBC Theatre productions, such as The Grown-Up (Spring 2022) and this semester’s Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, where they are working as the Associate Costume Designer. She spent the summer in Staunton, Virginia as a stage management production intern for Julius Caesar at the American Shakespeare Center Theatre Camp. Lilli looks forward to continuing her studies at UMBC and hopes to one day work as a freelance costume designer or stage manager for theatre companies around the world.
is heading into her senior year at UMBC as an acting major and Linehan Artist Scholar. She has been blessed with opportunities to perform in many shows on campus, like “Trouble in Mind” by Alice Childress and “Everything is Performance,” a devised piece. This fall, she will be Van Helsing in Kate Hamill’s “Dracula”! To keep up with her journey, follow her acting Instagram and the UMBC theater department page linked below, which is also a great place to find out when tickets go on sale. She hopes to see you all attending some shows soon.
@franchescaparker_acting
@umbcdepartmentoftheater
Jayden Rhodes is a 4th year Linehan Artist Scholar pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design in addition to a minor in Entrepreneurship through UMBC’s new Focus in Arts Entrepreneurship pathway. Before coming to UMBC, Rhodes attended Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, a nationally ranked high school known for its strong STEM-based curriculum. While at the high school, Rhodes was enrolled as an Ingenuity student, taking advanced STEM courses. During her Junior and Senior years of high school, Rhodes delved deep into the visual arts with the help of her art teacher Matthew Adelberg. Her new passion for the arts allowed her to maintain a spot at a handful of professional arts showcases as only a high schooler, one of these events being ARISE by RAW Natural Born Artists in 2019.
When the time came to apply for college, Rhodes applied with the intention of studying the visual arts instead of a STEM-focused major. UMBC seemed to be a good fit for Rhodes, but what solidified the decision was the opportunity to be a part of the Linehan Artist Scholars Program. Not only would Rhodes be able to afford a college arts education, but she would immediately have access to a community of fellow artists, professors, and mentors to help her navigate the arts world.
Today Rhodes continues to develop her design skills and knowledge with the support of the Linehan Artist Scholars Program, awarding her the opportunity to be paid for her artistic efforts while studying at the university.
