"It is with great pleasure and honor that we recognize this highly talented and inspiring group of young artists, and reward them for their dedication and achievements in the arts," said Dr. Sachiko Kuno, president of S&R Foundation.
The S&R Washington Award recipients for 2011 are:
Char Prescott – Grand Prize Winner Char Prescott is a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral cellist in New York City, N.Y. An active performer, Ms. Prescott has appeared as a soloist at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on several occasions, and has made solo appearances with the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, the Reston Chamber Symphony, the Barry Studio Orchestra, and the West Potomac Sinfonietta. Ms. Prescott received her Masters degree in 2011 from the Manhattan School of Music (MSM). Ms. Prescott resides in Alexandria, VA.
Ryo Yanagitani – A distinguished pianist, Ryo Yanagitani is considered one of Canada's most promising young concert artists, endowed twice by the Canadian Arts Council with a grant as an Emerging Artist. His most recent successes include winning the gold medal at the 10th Annual San Antonio International Piano Competition, the Dr. Luis Sigall International Piano competition inVina del Mar (Chile), and the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, and being named a laureate of the Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition.
Shizuo Kuwahara – Born in Tokyo, Mr. Kuwahara is music director of the Symphony Orchestra Augusta in Augusta, GA, and is also the first prize winner of the prestigious Georg Solti International Conductors' Competition in Germany. A renowned conductor, Kuwahara has also won awards at many international conducting competitions, including the Malko International Conducting Competition, the Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting, the Prokofiev International Conducting Completion and the Fitelberg International Competition.
Laura Eckelman – Ms. Laura Eckelman is a New York City-based lighting designer for theater, dance, opera, and other performance arts events. A magna cum laude graduate of Middlebury College, Ms. Eckelman's design work has garnered regional and national recognition for its subtlety, elegance and careful composition. Ms. Eckelman holds a Master of Fine Arts from theYale School of Drama.
The award recipients are selected by the Awards Committee and receive a $5,000 cash prize to further their artistic disciplines. In addition, the Awards Committee named Char Prescott as a Grand Prize winner. Ms. Prescott will receive an additional $5,000 and will be eligible to showcase her talents in a Foundation sponsored event.
Previous Grand Prize showcases supported by the Foundation have included debuts at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall and the Terrace Theater at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.
Several of these talented young artists will be performing at the S&R Foundation-hosted Concert Series at The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Terrace Theater, in April 2012. This unique concert series, which is an official event of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and is supported by the Embassy of Japan, will showcase seven world-class musicians during the National Cherry Blossom Festival's Centennial Celebration, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy exceptional presentations by Japanese artists.
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