Tony Hobson
Hobson, who plays cello in the Wartburg Community Symphony and Kammerstreicher, is majoring in biology with an interest in medicine. He is the son of Andrew and Angela Hobson.
“Being the recipient of this scholarship will make music a lot more accessible for me as a college student,” Hobson said. “Music is the break I look forward to most from the more rigid side of academics. A day of biology classes and science can be completely leveled out with a couple of hours of rehearsal. I don’t have to worry about the time invested in music because there’s so much return there. Not only do I get to play my cello, but I’m being rewarded for the effort.”
In addition to playing in the high school orchestra and the Northern Iowa Junior Orchestra, Hobson also performed with the Wartburg Community Symphony during his senior year of high school.
“It was a great experience to play alongside people who were far more advanced and learning from them while being exposed to music that I wouldn’t have been exposed to otherwise,” Hobson said.
The scholarship was created in 2022 through gifts from friends of the Hagen family, friends of the Wartburg Community Symphony and John and Lori Hagen.
“We are passionate about helping students experience music at a higher level. Whether it’s Kammerstreicher, the symphony or St. George Quartet, we want students to have the opportunity to continue to play in college. My hope is that this scholarship will mean more students can focus on what they are passionate about,” said Rebecca Nederhiser, assistant professor of music and symphony conductor.
Alan and Patricia Hagen shared a dedication to music that continues to enrich Waverly and countless other communities through their students, who have become professional musicians, church and community musicians and avid supporters of music. Alan was a choral director at Waverly-Shell Rock High School, and Patricia was an accompanist and taught private vocal and piano lessons to generations of budding musicians.
For a short time, Alan served as interim Wartburg Choir director, and Patricia served as an adjunct piano and voice instructor at Wartburg at various times from the 1970s until 2000. They also served at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Waverly.
Though Hobson didn’t know the Hagens, he had heard of the Texas Tenors and his family was familiar with John Hagen from growing up in the community.
“When I told my parents about this scholarship, they were really excited for the opportunity because of that Waverly connection. We went on a listening spree of John’s music and learned a lot about him from that,” Hobson said. “I’m excited for this opportunity to continue playing while pursuing my degree and hope to continue to be able to do this even beyond Wartburg.”