“Not only did donor supported scholarships allow me to focus completely on my education, but it also introduced me to a culture that I had been entirely unfamiliar with. I was fortunate to have so many wonderful experiences working alongside the VEM String Quartet to bring an unfamiliar genre out into the communities and spread awareness of Armenian culture, history and music.”

Based out of Los Angeles, mezzo-soprano Danielle Segen (né Daneille Bayne) has performed locally and abroad. In 2019, she traveled to Armenia with the UCLA VEM Quartet for a series of concerts in the capital. Other performances on the opera stage include Prince Charming in Massenet’s Cendrillon, Carmen in The Tragedy of Carmen, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, the title role in William Bolcom’s Lucrezia, and Cherubino in Saverio Mercadante’s I due Figaro. She holds a Master of Music degree from UCLA in Vocal Performance and a Bachelor of Music degree from Western Washington University. Segen is an alumna member of the VEM quartet. In 2021, the UCLA Armenian Music Program released a series of mini-documentaries, one of which featured solely Segen and her personal experience with Armenian Music as well as her role in baking and performance as activism.