Announcing the 2026 ISB Jane Little Scholarship Recipient

Marfa Baratava of Wroclaw, Poland has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the ISB Jane Little Scholarship.

Honorable mentions were awarded to Margaret Lynch of Indianapolis, Indiana; Lila Tasdemir of Farmington Hills, Michigan; and Mia Bayardo of Midland, Michigan.

Marfa Baratava was born in Minsk, Belarus. She began her musical education on violin when she was 7 years old, then switched to the double bass at age fourteen. Studying with Vladimir Pulenkov, Marfa made rapid progress and was soon entering competitions and performing in public. After relocating to Poland in 2021, Marfa continued her musical education while adapting to a new country, language and educational system. She studied under Marek Politanski and continued her training with Czeslaw Kurtok at the Karol Szymanowski Music Lyceum. Throughout her studies, Marfa has been actively involved in orchestral, chamber, and solo performance. She served as principal double bass in her school orchestra and has performed in ensembles and masterclasses and at festivals. In addition to classical music, Marfa is deeply engaged in jazz, playing bass guitar in a big band and participating in jazz ensembles and collaborative projects.

After five years of studying double bass, Marfa has been accepted to study at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Eastman School of Music, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music.

Members of the scholarship committee, chaired by Tom Knific and including Diana Gannett and Patricia Weitzel, were impressed and moved by the achievements of all the applicants, both musically and in terms of character as evidenced by their statements and references.

The $10,000 scholarship, given annually to a female double bass major entering college as a freshman, was established in 2022 with the generous support of an anonymous donor. The scholarship is given in honor and memory of Jane Little, former member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and celebrated as one of the longest serving professional orchestra musicians in the world.

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Donate to the Jane Little Scholarship

We invite you to support the Jane Little Scholarship Fund with a tax-deductible donation. Choose "General Support" and indicate that your gift is in memory of Jane Little. To donate by mail, send a check to:

ISB Jane Little Scholarship Fund
14070 Proton Rd., Suite 100
Dallas, Texas 75244

Questions? Email .