Morningside Music Bridge Brings Its 26th Annual Summer Music Training Program to Boston

Morningside Music Bridge has selected 65 outstanding musicians, aged 12 to 18, from 11 countries to take part in its 26^th annual summer program. Representing the highest international standards of excellence, the young violinists, violists, cellists, and pianists will receive full scholarships for a month of intensive training. The program will be held in person at the New England Conservatory from July 7 to 30 and will also feature the Emerging Artist Recital series presenting the students and several Artists in Residence concerts with notable performers from around the globe. All recitals and concerts are free and open to the public. The full schedule can be viewed here.

“We believe that music should have no walls, only bridges, and by offering this barrier-free and diverse program to our students these past two plus decades, we have helped train the next generation of great classical artists,” shared Paul Dornian, Executive Director of Morningside Music Bridge. “Every year I am inspired as I witness connections being formed by students and faculty members from around the world.”

In 2022, over 350 musicians applied to the program from 24 countries. Applications were reviewed by a distinguished panel of faculty members, representing a spectrum of international musical careers and backgrounds. The 65 students selected are from Argentina, Austria, Canada, China, Colombia, Israel, Poland, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States (including three from Massachusetts), and Zimbabwe. They include 19 violinists, 10 violists, 18 cellists, and 18 pianists.

Morningside Music Bridge brings together some of the world’s most respected performing artists and teachers to guide, nurture, and inspire. The program is well known for sparking teacher-young artist mentorships that span years and continents. Guest faculty for 2022 will include pianists Arie Vardi and HaeSun Paik, violinists Midori and Daniel Stabrawa, cellists Laurence Lesser and Andres Diaz, and violists Steve Tenenbom and Roberto Diaz. Renowned musicians including violinists Noah Bendix-Balgley and Robin Wilson, pianists Krzysztof Jablonski and Antonio Pompa-Baldi, violist Atar Arad and cellist Wei Yu will perform. The full list of guest faculty can be viewed here.

"I have gained much musical knowledge during my time at Morningside Music Bridge and I also learned that music can bring people together without any boundaries. Some of the fellow students I met during my summers with the program have become my lifelong friends and now colleagues too. I am forever grateful for that," said Earl Lee, a Morningside Music Bridge alumni and current Assistant Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra who has recently been awarded the prestigious 2022 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award.

For the past two decades, more than 1,000 young artists have benefited from the full-scholarship music experience Morningside Music Bridge offers. Alumni perform on the world’s major concert stages, record for industry-leading labels, and have leadership roles in the world’s major artistic organizations. Alumni include pianists Yuja Wang and Jan Lisiecki; violinists Ning Feng, Nikki and Timothy Chooi; cellist Arnold Choi, Wei Yu and Maciej Kulakowski; and violist Teng Li and Diyang Mei. The full list of notable alumni can be viewed here. 

"Morningside Music Bridge is truly a life-changing experience - I was exposed to countless musical insights from renowned faculty, collaborated and bonded with talented fellow musicians, received numerous performing opportunities, and was inspired by many well-established alumni who came back to teach and perform," shared Clayton Stephenson, an alumni, 2022 Gilmore Young Artist and 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, who is currently pursuing a Harvard University and New England Conservatory dual degree program of Economics and Piano Performance. "I attended the program 4 times and those experiences were instrumental in shaping and enriching my musical aspirations during my formative years, and still elevate me to this day." 

The primary objectives of Morningside Music Bridge programs are to identify and promote outstanding young artists; create enhanced educational and performance opportunities; create enhanced professional development opportunities for music educators; promote inter-cultural understanding and mutual respect among all participants; expand community and corporate-based support for cultural interaction in the participating countries; develop long-term partnerships between classical music communities internationally; and build a bridge of understanding and creativity that spans the world.