Jim and Margie Fegley Orchestral String Scholarship Fund

This fund was established in 2013 by Marjorie Fegley in memory of her husband James E. Fegley, who passed away in 2003. Jim and Margie Fegley opened Fegley’s Violin Shop from their home in Reading in 1979. Fegley’s Violin Shop began providing services to the local stringed instrument community but soon the business expanded to provide quality work for students and professional players throughout the country.

Jim became interested in working with stringed instruments at an early age. Starting in 1962, he began apprenticing with various prominent luthiers in the United States. Jim had considered a professional music career while playing in area symphonies but his mechanical inclination and desire to work with his hands guided him to become a craftsman.

The purpose of the fund is to provide an annual scholarship to a male or female Berks County resident who is pursuing his or her education in the field of music, more specifically, orchestral strings. Applicants must be pursuing a Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, Bachelor of Arts in Music, Bachelor of Science in Music, or a music certificate. The applicant must have been an active participant in his or her high school or college music program or a music program outside the school. In order to apply, the applicant must have a strong commitment to academics by having achieved a high school cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale; or if already in college, a college cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Previous recipients of this scholarship can apply again in a subsequent year as long as they still meet the requirements; however, no preferential treatment will be given to previous recipients.