Linehan Scholars | 3rd Year
We are updating the website | Please be patient while content is being transferred
Abigail Chapman, 20, is a third-year Linehan Artist Scholar studying dance. Over the past 15 years, she has trained in numerous styles of dance, one of those primarily being hip hop – her favorite. Her dance training has mostly come from B. Funk Dance Company under Laura Edwards, as well as other studios up and down the East Coast. In the summer of 2020, she attended the University of the Arts’ Pre-College Dance program before ultimately choosing to continue her dance career at UMBC. Her goal is to dance professionally and explore creative direction within dance, but most importantly, help to foster more community within the art world.
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 Junior, she is entering her fourth semester of New Music Ensemble, her 2nd semester of Percussion Ensemble, and her 6th semester of the Improvisation Ensemble at UMBC. Ida began studying piano with Dr. Daniel Pesca and is now in her 6th semester of private lessons with Dr. Teodora Adzharova. She was selected to be a performer for UMBC’s 2024 “Pianorama” concert, and is currently preparing for her Junior recital, which is scheduled for April 27th. 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 third-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 junior 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 3rd 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.
