Polish Bassist Marfa Baratatava Wins $10K Music Scholarship

Marfa Baratatava's musical journey has taken her from Minsk to Poland to now, the doors of America's finest music schools, thanks to a $10,000 scholarship honoring one of classical music's most devoted musicians.

The International Society of Bassists awarded the 2026 Jane Little Scholarship to Baratatava, a Polish bassist who relocated from Belarus in 2021. She'll use the award to attend one of four prestigious U.S. conservatories that accepted her: San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, or University of Denver's Lamont School of Music.

Baratatava's path to this moment wasn't typical. She started on violin at age seven in Minsk, Belarus, then made a bold switch to double bass at 14, studying with Vladimir Pulenkov. After moving to Poland, she continued training with Marek Politański and later Czesław Kurtok at the Karol Szymanowski Music Lyceum.

Her hard work paid off quickly. She became principal double bass in her school orchestra and performed at festivals and masterclasses across Europe. But classical music isn't her only passion. Baratatava also plays bass guitar in a big band and regularly performs jazz, showing the kind of versatility that makes musicians stand out.

The Jane Little Scholarship was created in 2022 to support female double bass players entering college. It honors Jane Little, who spent decades as a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and became one of the longest-serving professional orchestra musicians in history.

Why This Inspires

The scholarship committee, led by Tom Knific and including Diana Gannett and Patricia Wetzel, reviewed applications from talented young bassists across the country. They gave honorable mentions to Margaret Lynch of Indiana, plus Lila Tasdemir and Mia Bayardo from Michigan. The committee said they "were impressed and moved by the achievements of all the applicants, both musically and in terms of character."

Baratatava shared her gratitude on Facebook, thanking her teacher Czesław Kurtok for his "guidance, patience and all the valuable guidance that helped me grow throughout the years." She also thanked Alicja Maryńczuk-Śliwińska for her support and collaboration.

Five years after picking up the double bass, Baratatava is heading to America to study at one of the country's top music programs, proof that starting something new and working hard can open doors you never imagined.