Sasha Doster
We are proud to announce our two Stipendiatinnen for the 2026 Bayreuth Festival: Sasha Doster, a PhD Candidate in Columbia University’s Historical Musicology program and Cellist and Sophia Stoyanovich, a violinist and graduate of The Juilliard School, presently completing her doctorate at The CUNY Graduate Center.
Sophia Stoyanovich
The Wagner Society of New York’s two 2026 scholarship recipients will attend the annual program, organized by the Richard Wagner Scholarship Foundation, that occurs during the Bayreuth Festival. This Foundation was established over 100 years ago to promote the professional development of young people interested in Richard Wagner and his works. Its former participants include well-known singers, musicians, stage directors, and administrators that specialize in Wagner performance. 2025 marked the most competitive application cycle to date, with a record number of candidates representing a diverse range of artistic, musical, and academic backgrounds. A dozen of our members made earmarked donations to our Bayreuth Scholarship Fund in the past year, making it possible to send these two outstanding awardees to Bayreuth; we are deeply grateful for the material support for their artistic journeys. The Society is proud to support both the Scholarships Foundation’s mission and the careers of these aspiring Wagner professionals.
Those interested in representing the Wagner Society of New York as part of the 2027 Stipendium program can register their interest here.