Curtis Institute of Music Announces 2025 Young Alumni Fund Recipients 

In all, 19 Curtis graduates have received grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 for professional project and career support

The Curtis Institute of Music has announced 19 new grantees for its fourth annual Daniel W. Dietrich II Young Alumni Fund, which first launched in 2021 to help students make the transition to professional careers. 

Open to graduates of Curtis who completed their studies in the last ten years, the fund totals $100,000 and is distributed in two categories. 

Project Support is for innovative projects, community and nonprofit organizations founded by alumni, commissions of new works, and the production of new commercial films and audio recordings, among others. 

For the Career Support category, the fund can cover artistic or professional development, such as audition travel and international competition expenses, plus marketing and promotion. It also addresses financial hardship and can help with instrument purchases. 

The 2025 Project Support recipients are Erika Gray (Viola), Joshua Halpern (Cello), Arlen Hlusko (Cello), Shannon Lee (Violin), Ren Martin-Doike (Viola), Zachary Mowitz (Cello), and Neil Rao (Percussion). 

The Career Support grantees are Yue Bao (Conducting), Ethan Burck (Voice), Héloïse Carlean-Jones (Harp), Griffin Harrison (Percussion), Calvin Mayman (Flute), Hanul Park (Bassoon), Lindsey Reynolds (Voice), Ashley Robillard (Voice), Thomas Roy-Rochette (Bassoon), Oliver Talukder (Oboe), Alexandr Vvedenskiy (Oboe), and Nygel Witherspoon (Cello). 

Among the grantees’ projects and awards are receiving funding for a baroque harp and publishing a Meta Scales method book offering a conceptual approach to scale practice. 

Through the fund, one recipient will support the Philadelphia Performances for Autism, and another will create a music story hour at the historic Morgan Library and Museum in New York City. Additionally, another grantee will support climate justice-centric commissions by the non-profit arts organization, Nodality Music.

All the grantees were chosen through a competitive review process by an anonymous panel of Curtis alumni. The recipients will also have access to professional mentorship in achieving their funding proposals. 

“It is truly a privilege to support young alumni at Curtis. Their leadership and creativity are an inspiration to the Curtis community and a catalyst for innovation and growth in communities worldwide,” said Shea Scruggs, Curtis’ chief enrollment officer. “We are deeply grateful to the alumni on the evaluation panel for their meticulous and dedicated work in reviewing proposals and selecting the grantees. Their time and expertise are invaluable to Curtis, and the Young Alumni Fund would not have been possible without their support.

“I would also like to extend my profound gratitude to the Daniel W. Dietrich II Foundation for their transformative investment, which enables future generations of Curtis graduates to take bold risks, overcome challenges, and advance more quickly toward their artistic goals.”

For more on each grantee’s projects and career goals, click here.