• Leslie Lyon, Director of Public Affairs, College of Fine Arts, (512) 475-7033

5/3/2005

Miró Quartet Becomes First Chamber Group to Receive Prestigious Lincoln Center Honor

The Miró Quartet, which will celebrate its tenth anniversary next season, was presented the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant at a ceremony at Lincoln Center today. This marks the first time a chamber group has received this coveted Lincoln Center honor. Avery Fisher Career Grants are part of the Avery Fisher Artist Program, which was established in 1974 and includes the Avery Fisher Prize. The career grant is designed to give outstanding musicians significant recognition on which to continue to build their careers. The Avery Fisher Career Grants of $15,000 give professional assistance and recognition to talented instrumentalists and chamber ensembles that have great potential for major careers. Last year, both the Avery Fisher Career Grants and the Avery Fisher Prize were expanded to include chamber music groups.

Past Avery Fisher Career Grant recipients include violinists Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn and Gil Shaham, pianist Jonathan Biss, and cellist Matt Haimovitz. Past winners of the Avery Fisher Prize include the Emerson String Quartet, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Midori and pianist Emanuel Ax.

"Being the first ensemble to win an Avery Fisher Career Grant is one of the most exciting things in the quartet's ten-year career," said Miró Quartet cellist Joshua Gindele. "Not only are we thrilled by the award and the possibilities it brings to us, but we are also all deeply honored to be the first chamber group to receive the Grant."

2005 has already been a year of great honors for the Miró Quartet, which was established at Oberlin College in 1995. Earlier this year the quartet received the Cleveland Quartet Award (presented by Chamber Music America) and the first YPCA Alumni Award (presented by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters).