The E. Griego & L. Switzer Jazz & Classical Music / Classical Arts Scholarship is for Year 13 students who excel in classical music and/or classical arts, who have shown discipline and commitment to their art during their high school years, and who show a clear determination and commitment to continue in their chosen field of music/art via tertiary studies.

The scholarship is worth $18,000 and is available every three years to ONE student. Candidates may apply from the following schools:

• Mount Maunganui College
• Otumoetai College
• Tauranga Boys' College
• Katikati College

Applications open via each school from August onwards. Contact the school principal or the Year Dean for more information.

About Elizabeth Griego & Lee Switzer
Elizabeth was born in Los Angeles and completed her Bachelor of Science in Bacteriology at the University of California, then worked as a bacterial geneticist.

Several years later, she obtained a Doctor of Optometry from the Southern California School of Optometry in Fullerton, California. She became an optometrist before retiring and moving to New Zealand in 2003.

Elizabeth’s passion is classical music, having grown up in a musical family with one brother playing the bassoon very well and the other playing the clarinet professionally in the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Elizabeth was skilled at the oboe, amateur playing in the LA Youth Symphony Orchestra, and was the first chair of the University of California at Davis Orchestra.

Lee was born in the United States and graduated from university with a BA in Liberal Arts and Masters in Library Science. He is a dual national with American and New Zealand citizenship and has worked as a librarian in academic and public libraries.

Lee passed away in September 2024. He was an itinerate photographer with photos in the National Library of NZ, Tauranga Heritage Collection, Tauranga Pae Koroki, San Francisco Public Library, and various New Zealand books. More of his photos and stories can be found online: https://www.artbop.co.nz/. Lee has volunteered in various organisations and is interested in NZ history, classical, jazz and blues music.