LA Phil Announces 2018-2019 Diversity Resident Fellowship Recipients

The Los Angeles Philharmonic has announced the four recipients of the 2018-2019 diversity Resident Fellowships

The Los Angeles Philharmonic has this week announced the four recipients of the 2018-2019 Resident Fellowships – created to invest in the highest-level emerging professional musicians and increase diversity within American orchestras.

The newly-created development training program, for outstanding musicians of historically underrepresented populations, allows up to five fellows each year to perform with the ensemble - and benefit from immersive orchestral mentorship, audition assistance and community engagement opportunities.

The 2018-2019 LA Phil Resident Fellows are:

• Violinist Eduardo Rio
• Violist Andrew Francois
• Double bassist Michael Fuller
• Percussionist Wesley Sumpter

"I look forward to welcoming our first four Fellows not only onto our beloved Walt Disney Concert Hall and Hollywood Bowl stages, but also into community settings here in Los Angeles and on tour as members of our orchestra family ..." LA Phil Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel has said.

"We are honored to be able to offer musicians just starting out in their careers the types of opportunities and experiences that will be vital to shaping their futures," he has said.

Peruvian-born violinist Eduardo Rios is a former 1st prize winner at the Sphinx Competition - and is currently pursuing post-graduate studies with pedagogue Robert Lipsett at the Colburn School.

A graduate of the Illinois State University and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, violist Andrew Francois is a former fellow of the New World Symphony.

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, double bassist Michael Fuller has previously performed with the New World Symphony, National Repertory Orchestra, Houston Latin Philharmonic, Orlando Philharmonic, Palm Beach Opera and the Chautauqua Festival Orchestra.

A graduate of the University of Georgia, and current post graduate student at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music, percussionist and drummer Wesley Sumpter has performed with the Louisiana Philharmonic, Santa Barbara Symphony, Atlanta Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic - and is a former prize winner at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.