Luminarts Cultural Foundation announces 2022 Classical Instrumentalist Fellows

Luminarts Cultural Foundation (Luminarts) has named saxophonist Joseph Connor, pianist Qi Kong, and violinist Rannveig Marta Sarc as its 2022 Classical Instrumentalist Fellows.

Three $10,000 fellowships are granted in the categories of piano, string instruments, and wind instruments.  In addition to the initial $10,000 award, fellows gain access to professional and creative resources and additional project grants for 10 years.

’Luminarts Cultural Foundation has supported exemplary young artists for more than a decade. This year’s Classical Instrumentalist Fellows add to a rich history of artistic excellence and add to Chicago’s unique, vibrant arts community’ commented Jason Kalajainen, Luminarts Cultural Foundation executive director.

Violinist Rannveig Marta Sarc is a graduate of the Juilliard School where she received both a bachelor and master of music as well as earning a Kovner Fellowship. She has performed as a soloist with, among others, the Icelandic Symphony, Slovene Philharmonic, and Iceland Youth Symphony Orchestra. Since relocating to Chicago, Sarc regularly performs with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony and Civic Orchestras, is concertmaster at Chicago Civic Orchestra, and a faculty instructor at the Merit School of Music in Chicago’s West Loop.

Joseph Connor is a graduate of Northwestern University and Lawrence University and is a current doctoral candidate at Northwestern University.  He has performed with Symphony Orchestras in Oshkosh, La Crosse, Fox Valley, and Manitowoc as an ensemble player. Since relocating to Chicago, Mr. Connor has presented masterclasses and lectures at Lawrence University, Northwestern University, Webster University, and serves as saxophone instructor at Merit School of Music.

Pianist Qi Kong is a graduate of The Juilliard School and Yale University and is a current doctoral candidate at Northwestern University. His accolades include first prize winner of the 2021 Northwestern University Concerto Competition and the esteemed Thaviu-Isaak Endowed Piano Scholarship Competition.

Luminarts cultivates Chicago’s arts community by supporting exemplary young artists through its competitive programmes that offer financial awards, artistic opportunities, and mentoring that bridge the gap between education and career.