Vocal student wins international fellowship

Mario Sangret-Savalle, a Central Michigan University senior, has been awarded a prestigious Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals Fellowship in Germany.  Sangret-Savalle is an Honors program student from Gladwin, Michigan who is pursuing a major in vocal music.

Sangret-Savalle believes that sharing music is one of the best ways to build community. 

In high school I began performing choral music and theatrical works, which created a great shift in my connection to music,” he said. “I could finally see how art impacts people— all people. I felt a connection to the audience and the duty to help them explore the stories of the music.”

The CBYX Fellowship is a yearlong experience consisting of two months of intensive German language study, one semester of university, technical, or professional school classes, and a three-to-five-month internship in the individual’s field.

Sangret-Savalle, was inspired to apply for a CBYX fellowship after completing the required language part of his voice training. He chose to study German because German classical works, like opera and art song, are prolific in his field. 

“The history of German classical music has pushed boundaries musically and politically. It has influenced the context in which we know classical music today,” he said. “It will be a unique experience to study the roots of this music as well as modern works being developed in today’s German culture.”  

Sangret-Savalle worked with the CMU National Scholarship Program to complete the application process. He was selected from a competitive pool of over 500 applicants to receive the CBYX Fellowship. Annually, CBYX provides cultural immersion experiences for 75 American and 75 German young professionals through study, internships, and homestays in each other’s countries. 

“When I started at CMU, I didn’t know what my path would look like, but because of the support of mentors through the CMU Honors Program and the CMU School of Music, as well as Dr. Harke, I have received a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore the impact and power of music,” he said. “I don’t want to just make music my job, I want to use music to move people and create community.”