Beloved Professor’s Final Gift Supports Next Generation of Lamont Musicians
For over 25 years, Antonia Banducci, PhD, was a beloved musicology professor at the Lamont School of Music, known for her unwavering commitment to her students. Now, her legacy of care and support for students will now continue for generations to come. Through her estate, Banducci established an endowed graduate student scholarship, ensuring that the next generation of Lamont musicians and scholars receive the support they need to thrive.
Brian Pertl, director of Lamont, reflects on the profound influence of Banducci’s career and generosity. “Even though I only arrived at Lamont in July, I have heard dozens of stories of Antonia’s life-changing impact as an educator and as a friend,” he says. “I so wish I had had the opportunity to meet her. Through her generous endowed scholarship for graduate students, she will keep changing lives.”
“She was completely devoted to her students,” recalls Diane Waldman, PhD, Banducci’s close friend and colleague, as well as a DU associate professor emerita in media, film and journalism studies, who serves as the executor of Banducci’s estate.
Banducci’s students and colleagues remember her as a passionate, engaged educator who held her students to high standards. She inspired them to approach music with rigor, joy, and curiosity — values that her gift will continue to promote in Lamont’s classrooms, rehearsal rooms, and recital halls.
“She was tough,” says Waldman, who was so inspired by Banducci that she audited many of her classes after retiring from DU. “Her classes were not easy, but she really wanted her students to get it. I couldn’t believe what she could pack into a fifty-minute class.”
Jack Sheinbaum, PhD, professor of musicology and associate director for academic affairs at Lamont, was also a longtime friend of Banducci. “I’ve never known someone with such passion, energy, and dedication to her students,” he says. “The greatest legacy for Antonia to endow scholarships in her name, which will help bring the very best musicians to Lamont for generations to come.”
Banducci was committed to incorporating multidisciplinary approaches in her teaching. She fostered courageous learning environments where students felt empowered to go beyond their comfort zones. Her teaching philosophy blurred the lines between theory and practice, integrating musicology, performance, theory, and even dance to create richer learning experiences. “I have photos of Antonia teaching a group of students a baroque dance,” Waldman says, offering just one example of how she brought musicology lessons to life.
On a cool November morning, Waldman hand-delivered the first contribution from Banducci’s estate to the scholarship fund. As she stood under the sprawling atrium at Lamont, students and faculty walked briskly by, carrying instruments and sheet music. Pertl, who was there to welcome her, emphasized that the gift will allow many more graduate students to pursue their education at DU, with the first scholarships being awarded as soon as next fall.
He added that scholarship recipients will learn about the extraordinary professor behind their funding. Lamont students have always been her legacy, and her generous bequest ensures that legacy will endure for generations.
Pertl smiled: “We should have gotten out the herald trumpets!”
