Kovner Fellowship Program

Established in 2014, the Kovner Fellowship is a merit-based scholarship award that covers the full estimated cost of attendance to The Juilliard School. Kovner Fellows benefit from comprehensive scholarship support covering tuition, room and board, and additional expenses, and by enhanced programmatic opportunities. Juilliard is extremely grateful to Bruce and Suzie Kovner for their pioneering generosity and visionary leadership in establishing this program.

Kovner Fellows are chosen by the Kovner Selection Committee based on faculty recommendations and the following criteria:

1. Artistic merit of the highest caliber
2. A successful academic history
3. Personal capacity for intellectual curiosity, commitment to the value of art in society, and potential for leadership in the field

There are approximately 54 Fellows at any given time, comprising both undergraduate and graduate students. Fellowships are open to:

• Classical music applicants who are offered admission in the Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Graduate Diploma programs.
• Current undergraduate classical music students who are entering their third or fourth year of study.
• Master of Music and Graduate Diploma candidates entering their second year of study.
• Dance, Drama, Jazz, Artist Diploma, and Doctor of Musical Arts programs are not eligible for consideration.

There is no application or interview process for the Kovner Fellowship. Rather, every eligible student who applies to Juilliard has also applied for the Fellowship by default. The selection process is as follows: After hearing entrance auditions, the faculty recommends applicants for consideration to the Kovner Fellows Selection Committee which convenes in mid-March to review letters of recommendation, admissions essays, faculty recommendations, high school and college transcripts, and all aspects of the application itself. A similar, second round of selection for continuing students takes place in late May or early June, when the committee also reviews comments on annual jury forms. Notification is given in late March for new students, and in early June for continuing students.

Among the many reasons the Selection Committee will choose to recommended an applicant for the Fellowship are a combination of the following: a high school transcript (for undergraduate programs) that reveals the potential to do college-level work; a well-written and creative essay; an academic history that indicates community engagement or leadership potential; a college transcript (for graduate program applicants) that demonstrates a commitment to learning and academic curiosity; strong letters of recommendation; remarks on the faculty’s audition or jury comment sheets that indicate the highest artistic standard; and English language proficiency in accordance with prevailing admissions standards.

The Kovner Fellowship will be renewed every year during a student’s enrollment in his or her current program of study. Continued designation as a Kovner Fellow is contingent upon fulfilling all of the academic and performance requirements for the current degree program.

Kovner Fellows should demonstrate the highest level of excellence in every endeavor at The Juilliard School. Fellows should also contribute to the Juilliard community in ways that uphold and promote the values and mission of the School. Both as musicians and as citizens, Fellows are expected to act in a way that will reflect positively on themselves, the School, the Fellowship program, their peers, mentors, and teachers.

Ara Guzelimian, Director and Faculty Advisor for the Kovner Fellowships
Yassmeen Angarola, Administrative Director, Office of the Provost
Ashley De Peri, Manager, Office of the Dean and Director, Music Division
[email protected]

Longtime friends of Juilliard Bruce Kovner and his wife Suzie Kovner received honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees at the 2014 Juilliard Commencement. Mr. Kovner served as chairman (now chair emeritus) of Juilliard’s Board of Trustees from 2001 to 2022, and Mrs. Kovner is a founding member of the Drama Council. The Kovners’ involvement with the School has ranged from the donation of an extraordinary manuscript collection to gifts that helped establish the Historical Performance program, and a challenge grant for the endowment of the Drama Division Master of Fine Arts program; and, most recently, the Kovner Fellows program, which was announced in fall 2013.

Bruce Kovner received his BA from Harvard College and later studied at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He founded Caxton Associates, a diversified trading company, in 1983 and served as its chairman until his retirement, in 2011. A year later, he established Caxton Alternative Management LP to manage his investment, trading, and business activities. He is the vice chairman of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and also serves on the boards of the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Shakespeare Company, and American Enterprise Institute.

Suzie Kovner, who received her bachelor’s degree from Colgate University, is a trustee of Carnegie Hall and co-chairs the advocacy group for Ensemble Connect. She is also on the board of the American Associates of the National Theatre of Great Britain and a member-at-large of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Administrative Board.

The couple’s Kovner Foundation makes grants in the principal areas of education reform and innovation, personal liberty, and to institutions that are exemplars of the highest levels of creativity in the performing arts in the United States and around the world.

• Austin Adaranijo (BM, horn, class of 2028) is from Laurel, MD. He is in the studio of Erik Ralske.
• Elise Arancio (MM, composition, class of 2025) is from Atlanta, GA. She is in the studios of Nina C. Young and Amy Beth Kirstin.
• Kerrigan Bigelow (MM, soprano, class of 2026) is from North Andover, MA. She is in the studio of Amy Burton.
• KiMani Bridges (MM, composition, class of 2026) is from Louisville, KY. She is in the studio of Amy Beth Kirsten.
• Elisabeth Chang (MM, cello, class of 2025) is originally from Taiwan. She is in the studio of Joel Krosnick.
• Eric Chen (MM, violin, class of 2025) is from Princeton, NJ. He is in the studios of Catherine Cho and Donald Weilerstein.
• Christy Choi (BM, cello, class of 2025) is from Tenafly, NJ. She is in the studio of Clara Kim.
• Elli Choi (MM, violin, class of 2025) is from Tenafly, NJ. She is in the studio of Joseph Lin.
• Yireh Choi (BM, cello, class of 2028) is from Norwood, NJ. She is in the studios of Joel Krosnick and Clara Kim.
• Joshua Choi (BM, clarinet, class of 2026) is from Palisades Park, NJ. He is in the studio of Charles Neidich.
• Nikka Gershman (BM, flute, class of 2027) is from Los Angeles, CA. She is in the studio of Carol Wincenc.
• Natasha Gesto (MM, soprano, class of 2025) is from Sydney, Australia. She is in the studio of Darrell Babidge.
• Julian Gonzalez (MM, bassoon, class of 2025) is from Miami, Florida, He is in the studio of Judith LeClair.
• Rhyuhn Green (BM, composition, class of 2028) is from Philadelphia. He is in the studio of David Serkin Ludwig.
• Saul Ibarra-Ramos (MM, collaborative piano, class of 2026) is from Mexico. He is in the studio of Lydia Brown.
• Vibha Janakiraman (BM, violin, class of 2027) is from West Chester, PA. She is in the studios of Catherine Cho and Itzhak Perlman.
• Kevin Jansson (MM, piano, class of 2026) is from Ireland. He is in the studio of Robert McDonald.
• Jenny Yeyeong Jin (BM, violin, class of 2025) is from Englewood, NJ. She is in the studios of Li Lin and Itzhak Perlman.
• Scarlett Jones (MM, soprano, class of 2026) is from North Wales. She is in the studio of Elizabeth Bishop.
• Maya Kilburn (MM, violin, class of 2026) is from Muncie, IN. She is in the studios of Catherine Cho and Donald Weilerstein.
• SonJin Kim (MM, bass, class of 2026) is from South Korea. He is in the studio of Darrell Babidge.
• Colby Kleven (MM, horn, class of 2026) is from Pueblo West, CO. He is in the studio of Eric Ralske and Jennifer Montone.
• Amelia Krinke (BM, viola, class of 2026) is from New York City. She is in the studio of Steven Tenenbom.
• Jamie Yoojin Lee (MM, oboe, class of 2025) is from Seoul, South Korea. She is in the studio of Elaine Douvas.
• Pearl Lenferna de la Motte (BM, viola, class of 2026) is from San Francisco, CA. She is in the studio of Hsin-Yun Huang.
• Brandon Leonard (BM, cello, class of 2027) is from Stone Mountain, GA. He is in the studio of Natasha Brofsky.
• Alexander Leonardi (MM, organ, class of 2026) is from Long Island, NY. They are in the studio of Paul Jacobs.
• Janice Leung (BM, viola, class of 2027) is from Hong Kong. She is in the studio of Carol Rodland.
• Juhee Lim (MM, piano, class of 2026) is from South Korea. She is in the studio of Robert McDonald.
• Giancarlo Llerena (MM, collaborative piano, class of 2026) is from West Palm Beach, FL. He is in the studio of Lydia Brown.
• Laura Liu (MM, viola, class of 2025) is from Miami, Florida. She is in the studios of Misha Amory and Cynthia Phelps.
• Tianyou Ma (MM, violin, class of 2025) is from Shenzhen, China. He is in the studio of Catherine Cho.
• Juliyan Martinez (MM, clarinet, class of 2026) is from Powder Springs, GA. He is in the studio of Jon Manasse.
• Renée Murphy (MM, harp, class of 2026) is from Bloomington, IN. She is in the studio of Nancy Allen.
• Kimberly Nelson (BM, trombone, class of 2026) is from Dallas, TX. She is in the studio of Joseph Alessi. 
• Clara Neubauer (MM, violin, class of 2026) is from Manhattan. She is in the studios of Itzhak Perlman and Li Lin.
• Bobby Park (BM, violin, class of 2028) is originally from South Korea. He is in the studios of Itzhak Perlman and Li Lin.
• Jade Park (BM, trumpet, class of 2028) is from Australia. She is in the studio of Raymond Mase.
• James Picarello (MM, horn, class of 2025) is from New York City. He is in the Studio of Eric Reed.
• James Preucil (MM, viola, class of 2026) is from Schaumburg, IL. He is in the studios of Molly Carr and Samuel Rhodes.
• Lauren Randolph (MM, mezzo-soprano, class of 2026) is from Chicago, IL. She is in the studio of Elizabeth Bishop. 
• Josue Reyes (MM, Baroque double bass, class of 2026) is from Houston, TX. He is in the studio of Doug Balliett.
• Mikel Rollet (MM, viola, class of 2025) is from Boca Raton, FL. He is in the studios of Heidi Castleman and Cynthia Phelps.
• Spencer Rubin (BM, oboe, class of 2026) is from Woodbury, NY. He is in the studio of Elaine Douvas.
• Sahana Shravan (MM, violin, class of 2025) is from Boca Raton, FL. She is in the studio of Catherine Cho.
• Michal Skowronek (GD, collaborative piano, class of 2025) is from Poland. He is in the studio of Brian Zeger. 
• Amaan Syed (BM, trombone, class of 2027) is from Austin, TX. He is in the studio of Joseph Alessi.
• Kiron Atom Tellian (BM, piano, class of 2026) is from Vienna, Austria. He is in the studio of Sergei Babayan.
• Bobby Thompson (MM, bassoon, class of 2026) is from Carp, Canada. He is in the studio of Judith LeClair.
• Tivoli Treloar (MM, mezzo-soprano, class of 2025) is from Silverado, CA. She is in the studio of Darrell Babidge.
• Zachary VonCannon (MM, bassoon, class of 2026) is from Charlotte, NC. He is in the studio of Kim Laskowski.
• Tianyu Wang (BM, trumpet, class of 2025) is from Beijing, China. He is in the studio of Raymond Mase.
• Sophia Werner (BM, violin, class of 2025) is from Apalachin, NY. She is in the studio of Laurie Smukler.
• Sydney Whipple (MM, viola, class of 2026) is from Oakland, CA. She is in the studio of Misha Amory.
• William Yang (MM, piano, class of 2025) is from Eden Prairie, MN. He is in the studio of Robert McDonald.
• Vincent Yim (MM, trumpet, class of 2026) is from Hong Kong. He is in the studio of Christopher Martin.
• Evan Yonce (BM, oboe, class of 2025) is from Missoula, MT. He is in the studio of Nathan Hughes.
• Andrew Zaharis (BM, trombone, class of 2025) is from Trophy Club, TX. He is in the studio of Joseph Alessi.
• Bo Zhang (MM, piano, class of 2025) is from Hangzhou, China. He is in the studios of Emanuel Ax and Shai Wosner.
• Pengxi Zhu (BM, viola, class of 2028) is from Beijing, China. He is in the studio of Carol Rodland.

• Clara Abel, MM, cello, class of 2020
• David Alexander, MM, horn, class of 2022 
• Avery Amereau, AD, opera studies (mezzo-soprano), class of 2017
• Leslie Ashworth, MM, viola, class of 2023
• Phoenix Avalon, MM, violin (2022-2023)
• Jordan Bak, MM, viola, class of 2018
• Francesco Barfoed, MM, collaborative piano, vocal track, class of 2022
• Iona Batchelder, MM, cello, class of 2022
• Amanda Batista, MM, voice (soprano), class of 2022
• Nina Bernat, MM, double bass, class of 2023
• Alexander Bickard, MM, double bass, class of 2019
• Keoni Bolding, MM, viola, class of 202
• Amanda Bottoms, MM, voice (mezzo-soprano), class of 2017
• Claire Bourg, MM, violin, class of 2023 
• Maria Brea, MM, voice (soprano), class of 2017
• Hannah Burnett, MM, viola, class of 2022
• Janice Carissa, MM, piano, class of 2024 
• Joanne Chang GD, collaborative piano, class of 2024
• Michael Chiarello, MM, double bass, class of 2017
• En-Chi Cheng, MM, viola, class of 2019
• Chin Pong Chiu, MM, horn, class of 2019
• Yi Hsuan Chiu, MM, double bass, class of 2019
• Matthew Cohen, MM, viola, class of 2017
• Brittany Conrad, MM, double bass, class of 2019
• Giorgio Consolati, MM, flute, class of 2019
• Gabrielle Couillard-Després, MM, violin, class of 2024 
• Omar El-Abidin, BM, percussion, class of 2021
• Sterling Elliott, MM, cello, class of 2023
• Joshua Elmore, BM, bassoon, class of 2020
• Rebecca Farley, MM, voice (soprano), class of 2017
• Leah Ferguson, GD, viola, class of 2016
• Carlos Jimenez Fernandez, BM, trombone, class of 2022
• Grace Francis, MM, collaborative piano, class of 2021
• Emma Frucht, MM, violin, class of 2019
• Giuseppe Fu, BM, trombone, class of 2023
• Zlatomir Fung, BM, cello, class of 2021
• Umi Garrett, MM, piano, class of 2024 
• Eduardo de la Vega Garza, MM, collaborative piano, vocal track, class of 2022
• Hannah Geisinger, MM, viola, class of 2020
• Tomer Gewirtzman, MM, piano, class of 2016
• Randall Goosby, MM, violin, class of 2020
• Toby Grace, BM, percussion, class of 2021
• Bethlehem Hadgu, MM, viola, class of 2024
• Anna Han, MM, piano, class of 2020
• Anna Handler, MM, orchestral conducting, class of 2023
• Samantha Hankey, MM, voice (mezzo-soprano), class of 2017
• Bethany Hargreaves, MM, viola, class of 2018
• Sae Hashimoto, MM, percussion, class of 2018
• Daniel Hass, BM, cello, class of 2017
• Peter Hatch, MM, double bass, class of 2021
• Mariella Haubs, MM, violin, class of 2017
• Lila Holyoke, BM, cello, 2022-23
• Brian Hong, MM, violin, class of 2018
• Andrew Hsu, MM, composition, class of 2017
• Paul Huang, MM, violin, class of 2015
• Sirena Huang, BM, violin, class of 2016
• Tengku Irfan, MM, orchestral conducting, class of 2024 
• Hannah Ishizaki, MM, composition, class of 2023
• Alice Ivy-Pemberton, BM, violin, class of 2022
• James Kang, BM, viola, class of 2021
• Alberta Khoury, MM, guitar, class of 2019
• Valerie Kim, MM, violin, class of 2022
• Thesele Kemane, AD, opera studies (bass-baritone), class of 2016
• Abigel Kralik, MM, violin, class of 2021
• Mary La Blanc, MM, percussion, class of 2024 
• William Leathers, MM, trumpet, class of 2023
• Mezzo-soprano Natalie Lewis, MM, voice, class of 2023
• Matthew Lipman, MM, viola, class of 2016
• Jennifer Liu, MM, violin, class of 2016
• Tianyu Liu, MM, violin, class of 2023 
• Natalie Loughran, MM, viola, class of 2022
• Derek Louie, MM, cello, class of 2023
• Asa Maynard, MM, double bass, class of 2017
• K.J. McDonald, MM, violin, class of 2022
• Augusta McKay-Lodge, GD, baroque violin, class of 2017
• Olivia McMillian, BM, voice (soprano), class of 2019
• Coco Mi, MM, violin, class of 2024 
• Harrison Miller, BM, bassoon, class of 2017
• Devin Moore, MM, viola, 2021-22
• Nicholas Myers, MM, double bass, class of 2018
• Paris Myers, MM, double bass, class of 2020
• Gemma Nha, MM, soprano, class of 2024 
• Rosemary Nelis, MM, viola, class of 2020
• Mary Beth Nelson, MM, mezzo-soprano, class of 2023
• Oliver Neubauer, MM, violin, class of 2024 
• Bobby Nguyen, MM, organ, class of 2023
• Jessica Niles, MM, voice (soprano), class of 2021
• Trevor Nuckols, MM, horn, class of 2016
• Jakub Orlinski, GD, voice (countertenor), class of 2017
• Emmali Ouderkirk, MM, bassoon, class of 2023
• Hector Noriega Othon, BM, clarinet, class of 2022
• Chaeyoung Park, MM, piano, class of 2021
• Cesar Parreño, MM, tenor, class of 2023
• Aaron Patterson, MM, organ, class of 2024 
• Drew Petersen, MM, piano, class of 2017
• Adam Phan, MM, harp, class of 2022
• Gabrielle Pho, MM, horn, class of 2024 
• Shereen Pimentel, BM, voice (soprano), class of 2020
• Erin Pitts, MM, viola, class of 2022
• Xenia Puskarz Thomas, GD, voice (mezzo-soprano), class of 2022
• Eddie Pogossian, BM, cello, class of 2018
• Kara Poling, BM, oboe, class of 2024 
• Gabriel Polinsky, BM, double bass, 2016-17
• Mark Prihodko, BM, cello, class of 2020
• Kevin Quill, MM, trumpet, class of 2016
• Liv Redpath, MM, voice (soprano), class of 2016
• Kenneth Renshaw, MM, violin, class of 2019
• Kaitlyn Resler, MM, horn, class of 2019
• Emma Resmini, MM, flute, class of 2022
• Tabitha Rhee, MM, viola, class of 2023
• Ryan Roberts, BM, oboe, class of 2018
• Soprano Eirin Rognerud, BM, voice, class of 2022
• Samuel Rosenthal, MM, viola, class of 2024 
• Adam Rothenberg, MM, collaborative piano, class of 2018
• Rannveig Sarc, MM, violin, class of 2020
• Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner, MM, piano, class of 2017
• Jazmine Saunders, MM, soprano, class of 2024 
• Edson Scheid, GD, baroque violin, class of 2015
• Blair Shepperd, BM, bassoon, class of 2018
• Ethan Shrier, BM, trombone, class of 2021
• Lauren Siess, BM, viola, class of 2019
• Nathaniel Silberschlag, BM, horn, class of 2019
• Katherine Siochi, MM, harp, class of 2017
• Rachel Siu, MM, cello, class of 2021
• Jasper Snow, BM, viola, class of 2019
• Elizabeth “Libby” Sokolowski, BM, voice (soprano), class of 2022
• Tomsen Su, MM, cello, class of 2022
• Lisa Sung, MM, viola, class of 2020
• Carys Sutherland, BM, horn, class of 2024 
• Nicholas Swensen, MM, viola, class of 2023
• Max Tan, MM, violin, class of 2017
• Tristan Teo, MM, piano, class of 2018
• Chloe Thominet, MM, viola, class of 2018
• Yin-Ying Tseng, MM, viola, class of 2019
• Athena Tsianos, BM, piano, class of 2019
• Reed Tucker, MM, double bass, class of 2019
• Virginie Verrez, MM, voice (mezzo-soprano), class of 2015
• Joshua Vonderheide, MM, percussion, class of 2016
• Derek Wang, MM, piano, class of 2022
• Siyumeng Wang, MM, piano, class of 2023
• Yibiao Wang, MM, flute, class of 2021
• Yibing Wang, MM, percussion, class of 2020
• Clinton Webb, MM, horn, class of 2023
• Joshua Williams, MM, tuba, class of 2024 
• Onadek Winan, MM, voice (soprano), class of 2018
• Chris Wong, MM, flute, class of 2020
• Aaron Wolff, MM, cello, class of 2019
• Elliot Wuu, MM, piano, class of 2023
• Yiqun Xu, MM, cello, class of 2020
• David Yoon, BM, percussion, class of 2018
• Gabriel Young, MM, oboe, class of 2020
• Gregory Zelek, MM, organ, class of 2016
• Angie Zhang, MM, piano, class of 2019
• Sirena Zhang, BM, piano, class of 2017
• Kevin Zhu, BM, violin, class of 2022