Richard Benedum, music professor, was awarded a $269,244 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Benedum will organize and teach 'Mozart's World,' an institute in Vienna, Austria.

'We want Mozart to filter from the teachers to the students,' Benedum said.

Benedum has organized and taught Mozart workshops 10 other times. This year is unique because it will commemorate the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth.

'We are concerned for the meaning of the music during Mozart's time, and what it means for us today,' Benedum said.

Thirty teachers will have the opportunity to learn about Mozart and the world that surrounded the composer. The institute will pay special focus to two operas, 'The Marriage of Figaro' and 'Don Giovanni.'

An architectural historian from Cornell will discuss the architecture that surrounded Mozart in the three cities that most influenced his life, Salzburg, Vienna and Prague. The group will take excursions to explore the cities.

Dr. Mary Beth Carolson will teach a course on the history of Vienna and Dr. Alan Kimbrough will discuss the literature of Mozart's Opera.

UD professors Damon Sink and Julane Rodgers will also take part in the institute. Sink, who teaches music and technology during the school year, will teach a course on Mozart's influence on later composers. Rodgers will teach a course on Mozart in context during the era.

'We often forget that there were thousands of composers surrounding Mozart,' Benedum said. 'The best way to see how great Mozart is, is to compare him to his less than great contemporaries.'

Teachers who are interested in the program should apply to the NEH. All K-12 teachers are eligible to apply. The institute will start June 12 and end July 14.

'It's an incredible experience to sit beside the best teachers in America and see just how committed these teachers are,' Benedum said.

Benedum believes the NEH is vital for teacher education across the nation.

'The real focus of the study of Mozart is to rejuvenate teachers,' Benedum said. 'The whole series is the single most important program for American teachers for intellectual development and renewal.'

Benedum offers a unique opportunity for UD students as well.

'I have found ways to involve one or two students,' Benedum said. 'Students who have been music or education majors have come in the past.'

Interested students should contact Benedum. Students who have had Benedum for class are not eligible to apply.

Next semester, Benedum and Kimbrough will bring a taste of Vienna to Dayton when they team-teach 'Mozart's Operas.'