City alumna wins prestigious music award for educational programme

Maria Kramvi, a City, University of London music alumna, has won the Parsons Music Advocacy Award.

The award, in cooperation with the International Society for Music Education (ISME), aims to acknowledge the importance of activities that support music education in schools and communities.

Maria has been recognised for her efforts to promote community music in her region. This includes the implementation of programmes running with children and young adults of migratory backgrounds, but also as the co-founder of ‘Rhythm of Cyprus’, a music education programme aiming to use music as a tool for connecting Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot children.

Through the award, Maria will run a year-long advocacy project named ‘Rhythm of Change’ which aims to promote better understanding of thecommunity music on children and their parents but also demonstrate the results to the local authorities and policymakers.

As one of the two winners in Europe, Maria recently presented a project to delegates at the European Association for Music in Schools (EAS)’s conference in France and is set to speak at the International Conference of ISME in 2024.

Commenting on the award, Maria said she was proud to be recognised for her work.

“I feel honoured beyond measure to have won the Parsons Music Advocacy Award provided by the International Society for Music Education,” she said.

It is more than just an acknowledgement for the work I have done up to this point; it marks the beginning of a year-long advocacy effort to inform people of the vital role of music education in our modern society.

Maria said her time at City made her realise how powerful music can be when it comes to promoting inclusivity.

“The opportunities I had at City for participation in multicultural music groups, such as frame drumming, gamelan, contemporary groups and others, helped me better understand the music scene of the world.

”This led me to create more inclusive projects by combining music cultures, including but not dominated by Western Music.

“City marked the beginning of my professional career and looking back to more than 10 years ago, I can now say that it was the right choice for me due to the high quality of education it provided me with and continuous support from academic staff, even after graduation.

“The location in central London allowed me to explore the city, learn new things and grow my professional network.”

City’s current music offers link to industry, with courses specially designed with input from industry and professional networks that students are able to tap into.

Laudan Nooshin, Professor of Music at City, said Maria’s achievements reflected the power of music in bringing about social good between different cultures.

“Music has incredible potential to reconcile and unite,” she said.

“Behind the formation of our new degree course is the idea that students will develop the confidence and aptitudes to shape the next generation of music-makers.

The Rhythm of Change programme is an excellent example of this and how it can provide inspiration to people of all ages. Maria’s work in this area has been outstanding and she is fully deserving of this recognition.

Ten Parsons Music Advocacy Awards are awarded every two years for each of the ISME regions, which include the Americas, Asia-Pacific, South Asia, Africa/Middle East and Europe.

Find out more about City’s Music Performance with Production BA course.

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Read about City’s Music by Research MA course.

Written by Chiara Petrini Rossi, Communications Assistant at City, University of London.