Omer Quartet Awarded Audience-Voted Tarisio Trust Young Artist Grant

Tarisio Fine Instruments & Bows has this week announced the Omer String Quartet as the 5th recipients of 2017 $5000 Tarisio Trust Young Artist Grants

Tarisio Fine Instruments & Bows has this week announced the Omer String Quartet as the 5th recipients of 2017 US $5000 Tarisio Trust Young Artist Grants.

Recent graduates of the New England Conservatory, the ensemble were chosen via an online voting poll of 15 shortlisted candidates - for their ‘Music for Food’ Concert Series in Washington D.C. in aid of local hunger relief.

“We are creating a Music for Food concert series in Washington D.C. … where 100% of concert proceeds are donated for local hunger relief,” the Quartet, who were awarded major prizes at the Premio Borciani, Bordeaux and Fischoff International Chamber Music Competitions, have said.

“Concerts now have a larger purpose … each concert is not only a musical connection between artist and audience, but also a place where artist and audience work together for a common goal,” they have said.

As announced earlier this month, this year’s other four bursary winners, as chosen by jurors Kim Kashkashian, Martin Engstroem and the Quatuor Ebène, are:

• Jocelyn Zhu and Mariella Haubs to be used for their project ‘Concerts for Compassion’ – a new concert series dedicated to the music of artists who have faced adversity in their lives.
• Francisco Vila to be used for his ‘International Music Festival of Esmeralda’ project – a new festival that will allow 32 young South American artists the opportunity to work with members of the Juilliard String Quartet.
• Apoorva Krishna and his ‘Bahudari Composition’ project – the commissioning of a new original instrumental composition by violinist Apoorva Krishna and Indian classical percussionists Vinod Shyamon and Sunaad Anoor.
• The Argus Quartet for their ‘Visual Album of New Works’ project – a visual album of six newly-composed works all of which specifically focus on the bow.

Open to applicants aged between 18 to 35, the scholarships are awarded annually to support innovative stringed instrument projects – created and driven by young artists.