Established in 1974 as a generous contribution to Lincoln Center by the late Avery Fisher, the Avery Fisher Artist Program continues to recognize and support outstanding instrumentalists and chamber groups who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
For 2025, three exceptional musicians have been named as recipients of the Avery Fisher Career Grant: VC Artist violinist Joshua Brown, cellist Tommy Mesa, and VC Artist Viano Quartet.
Each awardee will receive $25,000 to support their career development, along with unrestricted access to a professional recording of their performances from the award ceremony. Additionally, they will be presented with a custom-designed rosette, symbolizing their achievement.
The honorees will be recognized at a special ceremony tonight at 6 PM (ET) at WQXR’s Jerome L. Greene Performance Space in New York City. The event will be streamed live on The Violin Channel. The official announcement will be made by Deborah Borda, Chair of the Avery Fisher Artist Program, alongside Nancy Fisher and Charles Avery Fisher, children of Avery and Janet Fisher.
Since the program’s inception, a total of 179 Career Grants have been awarded, including this year’s recipients—all of whom remain active musicians.
The selection process is overseen by the Program’s Recommendation Board, which consists of renowned instrumentalists, conductors, composers, music educators, managers, and presenters from across the country.
Notable past recipients of the Avery Fisher Career Grant include Yuja Wang, Gil Shaham, James Ehnes, Hilary Hahn, the JACK Quartet, as well as VC Artists Augustin Hadelich, Balourdet Quartet, and Julian Rhee.
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