About the McClure Competitive Music Performance Award Program

This program recognizes and honors the winner of the McClure Performance Award, a competitive award, cooperatively developed by Riverside Park United Methodist Church, Jacksonville University, and the Paul and Linda Kahn Foundation.  It is open to Junior and Senior music majors at Jacksonville University who meet certain standards.  Qualified candidates must apply and pass an objective screening process to determine who is invited to audition.  Auditions will be scheduled at Jacksonville University with independent judges.  Scores will be ranked to determine the winner for a given year.

Such an award was first established in 1974 by Louise McClure, the Kahn Foundation’s Arts Director and a member of the church, to recognize an outstanding music major at Florida State University selected by faculty.  Such an award was made each year thereafter.  Administration of the award was transferred to the Paul and Linda Kahn Foundation in the early 2000’s after Director McClure became terminally ill and was renamed for Louise and her mother Myrtice Louise Boggs McClure who were both very active in the music community in Jacksonville, FL.  Subsequent independent evaluation of the award program led to its being restructured as a competitive award at a Jacksonville institution of higher learning. After collaboration with the Dean of the College of Fine Arts and the Chair, Division of music, the competitive process was refined and the program was adopted. Jacksonville University was chosen to partner in the competitive program as an additional incentive for Music Majors.