From The Top Announces 2024 Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award

21 musicians aged 8-18 will receive up to $10,000 to put towards costs such as instrument purchases and tuition

21 pre-collegiate musicians have been selected from a field of 250 applicants to receive the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Awards, run by From The Top. These promising young players will each receive a grant of up to $10,000, to be put towards expenses such as instrument purchases, summer camp tuition, college audition expenses, lessons, and similar costs.

The selected artists will also record performance episodes with From The Top's host Peter Dugan, and will participate in its Learning and Media Lab. This experience comprises a remote, four-week week program in which the artists will implement a community engagement activity — as well as learning about the career pathways that will be open to them in the future.

The selected musicians are as follows:

• Pataranon “Benny” Boontagarnon, 17 - Piano
• Daniel De La Cruz, 17 - Viola
• Ian Dodd, 18 - Clarinet
• Anthony Dorsey, 17 - Violin
• Rhyuhn Green, 17 - Piano/Composition
• Gavin Hardy, 18 - Double Bass
• Laurel Harned, 17 - Guitar
• Abraham Kim, 17 - Cello
• Juhee Kim, 17 - Viola
• Ricardo Lazaro, 16 - Trumpet
• Sage Mae Lima-Jeffries, 17 - Cello
• Rebecca Marchan, 17 - Mezzo-Soprano
• Fabrizio Milcent, 17 - Bassoon
• Luis Diego Montero Hernández, 17 - Clarinet
• Jiyu Oh, 17 - Violin
• Eunice Park, 17 - Harp
• Daniel Perez Ponce, 17 - Percussion
• Joshua Rascón, 18 - Flute
• Gabriela Salvador Riera, 16 - Violin
• Benjamin Smith, 17 - Cello
• Laura Wang, 18 - Violin

"From the Top is making a long-term investment in the arts, and this award was instrumental to my own career," said Gabriel Campos Zamora, Principal Clarinet of the Minnesota Orchestra. "When I received the grant in 2008, I was finally able to buy my first clarinets and audition for college programs, which I would not have had the resources to do on my own."

"I also discovered a network of compassionate mentors who were eager to see me succeed," he continued. "Their knowledge and leadership prepared me to take the next steps in my classical music career, and I’m delighted that this transformative award continues to change lives. The future of classical music will be in the hands of these talented young people."