Congratulations to the 2026-27 Cykler Song Scholar Winners, Hannah Steuer and Joey Zweig!
This award provides financial support and mentorship to graduate students interested in pursuing original research related to song and encourages the exploration of underexplored song repertoire. Désirée, Kaitlyn, and Kasey will be provided with a $6,000 research award and mentorship from Stephen Rodgers, Edmund A. Cykler Chair in Music and Professor of Music Theory and Musicianship, over the course of the 2026/27 academic year.
Hannah Steuer, MM in choral conducting
About Hannah’s project:
Hannah’s research explores the implications of repertoire on identity formation in women’s choruses. Their project concentrates on the Eugene Women’s Choral Society (WCS), the longest-running women’s choral ensemble in the state of Oregon. WCS’s longevity allows for meaningful exploration of repertoire trends and ensemble culture over time, particularly when considered in light of broader societal shifts that have occurred over their 91-year timeline. Hannah will examine how constraints on musical women may be reinforced or challenged through literature selection, whether repertoire shapes a shared identity of “womanhood,” and how these phenomena have evolved in the 20th and 21st centuries.About Hannah’s project:
Joey Zweig, MM in music education
About Joey's project:
Joey's project seeks to identify the trends of current curricula in Eugene-Springfield schools and illuminate how Western classical music plays a role in representations of musical diversity. They will collect concert programs from schools in the Eugene-Springfield area, identify which genres of music are being performed, and analyze correlation with composer diversity as well as grade level and ensemble. Through their research, Joey hopes to highlight schools’ predilection towards Western classical music and uncover both the benefits and challenges of including a wider array of genres in K–12 music teaching.