Stephen Hardie needs a hand for a few months.

Thank you for clicking through to my gofundme page.

As I'm sure you already know, I am currently studying for a Doctorate in Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (known locally as CCM). I have completed my 2nd year, and have one more year to go, which will consist of preparing and presenting a major lecture/recital, a capstone project and aural examinations.

In addition to my DMA obligations, I have also been offered an Assistant Conductor Fellowship with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for the upcoming 2024-25 season. I am sure you can appreciate how important and valuable such an opportunity is for someone trying to build a career as a conductor, so of course I am very keen to take advantage of this.

One of the challenges of being an international student in the U.S. is that I am very limited in what I can do to earn money to live on. I have a scholarship from CCM, which covers most, but not all fees, and of course this is greatly appreciated, and during the school term I have a Graduate Assistantship at CCM as well. The CSO fellowship will also include a stipend paid through CCM, but as an international student I am not allowed to accept employment outside of the University. This means that right now, during the summer holidays, I effectively have no income, and will not have any until the CSO fellowship starts.

So this is why I am asking for your assistance. I just need a bit of a hand to get though the next few months. So many of you have been incredibly supportive of this venture, and I am grateful for that. Honestly, I've been reluctant to take this step, but some friends with whom I have shared my situation have indicated their willingness to support me in this way, so I'm hoping there might be a few more of you with the means and the willingness to do the same.

Thank you for your generosity and support.

Stephen