Naomi Woo ’12 MUS’13 has been awarded the Gates Scholarship for postgraduate study, a prestigious award that will fully fund her pursuit of a M. Phil in music studies at Cambridge University.

Woo’s will join two other Yalies, Matt Shafer ’13 and Rachel Kurchin ’13, who were announced as Gates Scholars last February. As a Canadian, Woo faced an even more selective application process than the American scholar applicants. Fifty international Gates Scholars are chosen from over 4,000 applications, compared to 40 Americans from just 800 applications.

At Yale College, Woo majored in math/philosophy and music, and dedicated herself to classical music performance outside of class. She co-directed the experimental chamber music ensemble SIC InC and was the music director of the Berkeley College Orchestra. On her Gates Scholarship profile, Woo said that she hoped to enrich musicology through performance, and further unite the two disciplines.

She also aims to broaden the reach of classical music and make it accessible to all people. At Yale, Woo taught in New Haven schools as a Teaching Artist for the Music in the School Initiative, and she has taught underprivileged children and performed at public concerts in her hometown of Vancouver.