By MDA Staff Writer | September 15, 2026
CLEVELAND, Miss. — Delta State University’s Delta Music Institute has received a $25,000 grant from the Steve Azar St. Cecilia Foundation to support scholarships and program-related needs.
The funding will assist students studying music production and other areas of the contemporary music industry at Delta State’s Cleveland campus.
The Delta Music Institute provides students with practical experience involving recording, audio engineering, entertainment-industry studies and music entrepreneurship. Its facilities allow students to work with professional production equipment while developing technical and creative skills.
The Steve Azar St. Cecilia Foundation was established in 2006 by Mississippi Delta musician Steve Azar and his wife, Gwen. The nonprofit organization supports charitable and educational causes in the Delta and elsewhere.
Azar, a Greenville native, is also an artist in residence at the Delta Music Institute. His career includes work as a recording artist, songwriter, producer and music-industry consultant.
Scholarship support can help reduce financial barriers for students pursuing careers in an industry that often requires extensive technical training and hands-on experience. Program funding can also help the institute maintain educational opportunities that connect Delta State students with the broader music business.
The grant strengthens a partnership rooted in the Delta’s musical heritage while supporting students preparing to take that tradition into new areas of performance, production and entrepreneurship.
Suggested social caption: A $25,000 grant from the Steve Azar St. Cecilia Foundation will support scholarships and program needs at Delta State’s Delta Music Institute.
Source: Delta State University’s official public announcement and Steve Azar’s official foundation information