Dawning (Welliver) Vajdi
Graduation Year: 2014
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Type of Creative: Musician and Educator
What They Do: Dawning is a freelance violinist and co-founder of the Empowered Creatives Project, which promotes empowering music and arts education.
Their Journey: Dawning's musical journey took a unique path after graduating from Wellington. She chose to take a gap year to serve as a volunteer at the Baha'i World Center in Northern Israel, where she was surrounded by volunteers from around the world. This unique experience allowed her to branch out from her Classical violin training and explore various cultures and genres. She then studied Violin Performance at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University, where she also minored in International Leadership and Development and Arabic Language. After graduating, she joined a professional string quartet, Sileo, and performed throughout the United States and Europe. Dawning now lives in Indianapolis with her husband and one-year-old son, performing as a freelancer and working on the Empowered Creatives Project. The project aims to create space for people of all backgrounds to create meaningful art without the steep learning curve of traditional performing arts. To address this, they promote inclusive and empowering music and arts education for all ages and backgrounds, emphasizing hands-on, creative experiences.
The Wellington Impact: Dawning credits Wellington's supportive music faculty for helping her create opportunities for musical excellence and learning. She recalls working closely with Karen Butler to arrange a performance of a previously never-recorded piece by Blair Fairchild, which was a meaningful experience for her. "With Karen Butler's support, I was able to perform a piece so close to my heart with the Wellington orchestra. It was a challenge for the orchestra, but she inspired them to strive to new heights, and the performance was incredibly sweet and meaningful," Dawning shares.
James Becker also supported her senior project on Blair Fairchild's history, a project she continues to pursue. "James Becker helped me to work on my senior project to bring Fairchild's history into relevance. I still have been pursuing this project to this day, and have since recorded several of his works for violin, and am co-authoring a book about his life and musical significance," she explains.
Wellington's strings program allowed her to teach private lessons and design her own chamber music after-school program, fostering her passion for music and education. "I was, and still am, so grateful to the music faculty for trusting me, advocating for me, and allowing me to create meaningful opportunities to follow my passions," Dawning reflects.