Avery Fisher Career Grants Announces 2025 Recipients

Violinist and VC Artist Joshua Brown, cellist Tommy Mesa, and VC Artist Viano Quartet have received the prestigious $25,000 prize

The Avery Fisher Artist Program was created by the late Avery Fisher as a gift to Lincoln Center in 1974. The program’s Avery Fisher Career Grants support exceptional instrumentalists and chamber groups who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S.

The three 2025 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipients include VC Artist violinist Joshua Brown, cellist Tommy Mesa, and VC Artist Viano Quartet.

In addition to receiving $25,000 for career advancement, the winners will get unrestricted use of a professional recording of their performances at the award ceremony, and a custom-designed rosette as a symbol of the Career Grant.

The recipients will be celebrated tonight at 6 PM (ET) at a special ceremony at WQXR's Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, in New York City — which will be streamed LIVE here on The Violin Channel. The three recipients will be announced by Deborah Borda, Avery Fisher Artist Program Chair, Nancy Fisher, and Charles Avery Fisher, children of the late Avery and Janet Fisher.

Since 1976, 179 Career Grants have been awarded including this year’s grants, and all recipients are currently active musicians.

The recipients are nominated by the Program's Recommendation Board, comprising nationally known instrumentalists, conductors, composers, music educators, managers, and presenters.

Former recipients of the Avery Fisher Career Grant include Yuja Wang, Gil Shaham, James Ehnes, Hilary Hahn, the JACK Quartet, VC Artists Augustin Hadelich, VC Artist Balourdet Quartet, and VC Artist Julian Rhee.