VC Artists Francisco Fullana and the Calidore Quartet Awarded 2018 Avery Fisher Grants

The 2018 recipients of the Avery Fisher Career Development Grants have been announced – including VC Artists Francisco Fullana and the Calidore Quartet

The 2018 recipients of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Development Grants have today been announced, in New York City – including VC Artists Francisco Fullana and the Calidore String Quartet. 

This year’s 4 grant recipients are:

• Violinist, VC Artist Francisco Fullana
• VC Artists Calidore String Quartet – violinists Jeffrey Myers and Ryan Meehan, violist Jeremy Berry and cellist Estelle Choi
• Double-bassist, Xavier Foley
• Pianist, Drew Petersen

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

A graduate of the Juilliard School and the University of Southern California, Francisco is a former 1st prize winner at the Julio Cardona, Munetsugu Angel and Johannes Brahms International Violin Competitions.

The Calidore Quartet are former top prize winners at the M-Prize, Fischoff, Hamburg and ARD Munich International Chamber Music Competitions.

“I am proud to call New York City my home for over a decade now ... to receive the Avery Fisher Career Grant is not just a dream come true, but an unbelievable honour ..." Francisco has told The Violin Channel.

"If you told my 16-year-old self, when I first moved from the island of Mallorca to study at the Juilliard School, that I would be on that stage at the gala tonight as the newest recipient of the award, I wouldn’t have believed you," the 27-year-old Spaniard has said.

“Receiving the news of this award is one of the highlights of our career ... to join the list of recipients which includes so many of our mentors and inspirations is truly humbling ... this award will help us in bringing many of our projects to fruition and aid us in upgrading our instruments and bows," VC Artist Ryan Meehan of the Calidore Quartet 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 Dover Quartet, Stephen Waarts, Chad Hoopes, Bella Hristova, Stefan Jackiw, Augustin Hadelich, Tessa Lark, Alexi Kenney, Benjamin Beilman, Itamar Zorman, Simone Porter and Paul Huang.

The Violin Channel will be streaming tonight's ceremony in a Facebook VC Live - direct from New York City's WQXR Greene Space.

PICTURED: 2018 AVERY FISHER CAREER GRANT RECIPIENT, VC ARTIST FRANCISCO FULLANA FROM SPAIN