“Five exceptional string musicians have been chosen for the inaugural class of CSO/CCM Diversity Fellows,” writes Janelle Gelfand Friday (4/29) in the Cincinnati Enquirer. “The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music announced on Friday that the first recipients of the fellowship are: Emilio Carlo, 21 (viola); Diana Flores, 26 (cello); Blake-Anthony Johnson, 25 (cello); Vijeta Sathyaraj, 27 (violin); and Maurice Todd, 37 (double bass).” Funded by a $900,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the program has “the objective of making American orchestras more inclusive. According to the League of American Orchestra, only about 4 percent of American orchestra musicians are African-American and Latino.” The fellows, who hail from New York, Georgia, Kentucky, Costa Rica, and Hong Kong, will receive mentoring and career guidance, a full scholarship from CCM, “a $10,000 per year graduate stipend and a one-time Graduate School Dean’s Excellence Award of $3,000. Participants will also receive $8,000 per season for performing with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. They will play the equivalent of five weeks per season with the orchestra, with one week focused on community engagement and educational activities.” Click here to read about orchestras’ diversity programs for musicians in the current issue of Symphony.
Posted May 2, 2016
Pictured left to right: Award winners of a cooperative program between CCM and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: CSO concertmaster Timothy Lees, cellist Diana Flores, violist Emilio Carlo, violinist Vijeta Sathyaraj, cellist Blake-Anthony Johnson , double bassist Maurice Todd and CCM dean Peter Landgren. Photo by Andrew Higley / University of Cincinnati
