Meet the Application Review Committee

Lydia Bangura

Lydia Bangura (she/her) is a soprano and a doctoral candidate in music theory at the University of Michigan. She is the founder and host of the music research podcast series, Her Music Academia. Her research interests include the intersection of performance and analysis, music theory pedagogy, and the instrumental works of Florence Price. Also a lifelong music performer, Bangura has experience studying violin, viola, and voice. Her recent operatic roles include Pamina and Second Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Alcina in Handel’s Alcina, and the solo soprano in Judith Weir’s one woman show, King Harald’s Saga.

Tina Rowan Zoller

Tina Rowan Zoller is a nonprofit leader with a passion for social change, education, and arts & culture. Tina currently serves as the Director of Finance and Employee Experience Manager for NEW, a social justice nonprofit intermediary in SE Michigan. Previously, Tina served as the Founding Executive Director for Accent Pontiac, a social change through music program based in Pontiac, MI, since the organization’s launch in September 2016. In 2023, she was recognized as one of Tomorrow’s 20 by the Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce for her work with Accent Pontiac. Before beginning her work with Accent Pontiac, Tina was the founding music teacher at Pride Academy in East Orange, New Jersey. Tina is a violinist who frequently performs in ensembles in Southeastern Michigan, including the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra, the Michigan Philharmonic, the Oakland Symphony Orchestra, Midtown Strings, and the Urban Art Orchestra. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where she received degrees in Organizational Studies, Violin Performance, and Performing Arts Management. She received a Certificate of Nonprofit Management at Duke University and New Jersey Teacher Certification at Seton Hall University. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Tina is passionate about supporting mission-driven organizations in her home state.