Avery Fisher Career Grants awarded to violinists Chad Hoopes and Stephen Waarts, plus the Dover Quartet

2017 Avery Fisher Career Grants have been awarded to violinists Chad Hoopes and Stephen Waarts (pictured), The Dover Quartet, and to pianist Haochen Zhang.  The awards are designed for young musicians or chamber groups with the potential for major careers, and are each worth $25,000.

All of this year's young winners has already achieved substantial international recognition: Chad Hoopes won the Junior Division of the Menuhin Competition in 2008 and made his debut recording of Mendelssohn and Adams concertos under Kristjan Järvi on the Naive label in 2014; Stephen Waarts won the Senior Division of the Menuhin Competition in 2014 and won the audience prize at the 2015 Queen Elisabeth Competition; the Dover Quartet took first prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2013 and is currently on a worldwide tour; while Haochen Zhang won first prize at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009.

The New York Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Artist Program was established in 1974 to give outstanding US instrumentalists significant recognition on which to continue to build their careers. To date 145 artists have received Avery Fisher Career Grants, including violinists Augustin Hadelich and Leila Josefowicz, and The Pacifica Quartet. Among the 2016 winners were violinists Alexi Kenney and Tessa Lark.

Photo: Matt Dine