BREAKING | 3 VC Artists Awarded 2017 Avery Fisher Career Development Grants

The 2017 recipients of the Avery Fisher Grants have been announced – including VC Artists Dover Quartet, Chad Hoopes and Stephen Waarts

The 2017 recipients of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Development Grants have today been announced – including VC Artists Dover Quartet, Chad Hoopes and Stephen Waarts.

This year’s 4 grant recipients are:

• VC Artists Dover String Quartet - violinists Joel Link and Bryan Lee, violist Milena Pajaro-Van De Stadt & cellist Camden Shaw
• Violinist, VC Young Artist Chad Hoopes
• Violinist, VC Young Artist Stephen Waarts
• Pianist, Haochen Zhang

Administered by the Avery Fisher Artist Program, each grant winner will receive USD $25,000 to assist with career development.

Graduates of the Curtis Institute of Music, the Dover Quartet are former top prize winners at the Fischoff, Wigmore Hall and Banff International String Quartet Competitions.

A graduate of the Kronberg Academy, Chad is a former 1st prize winner at the Menuhin Competition - and currently serves on the roster of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center CMS2 program.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Stephen is a former 1st prize winner at the Menuhin Competition and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions.

“ …. We are honored beyond words and grateful to have been awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant,” Dover Quartet 1st Violinist, VC Artist Joel Link has told The Violin Channel.

“Growing up, we have seen this award listed prominently as one of the most important accolades received by many of our favorite artists … the thought of sharing this honor with such esteemed musicians gives us immense joy …” he has said.

“As a young artist today, it is increasingly difficult to develop a meaningful career ... Thus, I am all the more thrilled with the honor of being an Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient ... " 22 year old VC Young Artist Chad Hoopes has told The Violin Channel.

"I believe that now is an important time in the evolution of classical music, and the Avery Fisher Program contributes mightily toward providing a young artist an opportunity to further that mission ... " he has said.

"I am so honored to receive this award from the Avery Fisher Committee and feel extremely privileged to be in such esteemed company … ” 20 year old VC Young Artist Stephen Waarts has told The Violin Channel.

Since 1976, more than 125 talented young musicians have been recognized with Avery Fisher Career Grant Awards – including Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Joshua Bell, Sarah Chang, Leila Josefowicz and Alisa Weilerstein – and VC Artists Bella Hristova, Stefan Jackiw, Augustin Hadelich, Tessa Lark, Alexi Kenney, Benjamin Beilman, Itamar Zorman, Simone Porter and Paul Huang.

PICTURED: 2017 AVERY FISHER CAREER GRANT RECIPIENTS, VC ARTISTS DOVER QUARTET