On the 6th of February, 2005, I receivd a most unusual and unexpected letter from someone I never before knew or met.

The letter was from John Van Buren, an American composer living in Germany. He found the Aegean Center while researching programs on the Internet. In this first letter he very simply and directly stated that he was interested in perhaps helping the Center. The lack of fanfare, and low key modest composure with which he stated his proposal to contribute to the Center was disarming, so much so that I responded with a degree of caution. Upon receiving his response I was assured that I was communicating with a very sincere and extraordinary person.

After those first letters, John Van Buren took the time to come to Paros to visit the Center--unannounced I might add--to see firsthand who we are and exactly what we are doing. That first visit was the 'acid test' in deciding whether or not he would endow the Center for the scholarship. During that trip he did the right thing and spent a lot of time with the students, attending every class and asking many questions.

John Van Buren now returns to the Center, both in Greece and Italy, on a regular basis. All of us at the Center wish to thank John for his bright and discerning spirit, and we are very proud indeed to host the scholarship bearing his name. He is indeed a very special friend to me as well as to the Aegean Center.

It is the wish of John Van Buren, that the scholarship given in his name be made available to those selected by the Center to be second or third semester continuing students.

John Van Buren was born in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. He studied German Literature, music and painting at Reed College in Portland for two years before going to Germany where he entered the Staatliche Musikhochschule in Stuttgart. Here he studied composition with Miko Kelemen, piano with Edgar Trauer and electronic music with Erhard Karkoschka, among others. John Van Buren has been active as an organizer of new music concerts in Stuttgart, notably as artistic director and manager of the Musica Nova Society. He has taught music at the University in Ludwigsburg near Stuttgart, at the John-Cranko Ballet School of the State Opera in Stuttgart and the City School of Music, Stuttgart. Currently John Van Buren is at the Hochschule in Augsburg where he has been teaching since 1991. John Van Buren has written a number of works including those for orchestra, various chamber ensembles, choir, electronic music, organ and solo instruments which have been performed repeatedly in Germany and other European countries as well as in the United States. His extensive collaboration with choreographers and filmmakers has led to productions on German television, New York public television, at opera houses in Mainz, Hagen, Osnabruck, Germany and important theatres in London and New York.