ON OUR PROGRAM TONIGHT WE WILL MEET AN AWARD-WINNING YOUNG MUSICIAN WHO IS BECOMING WELL KNOWN AROUND LINCOLN CENTER.

THE CEREMONY FOR THIS YEAR'S AVERY FISHER CAREER GRANT AWARD TOOK PLACE IN MARCH AT THE JEROME L. GREEN PERFORMANCE BASE AT WQXR.

THESE INDIVIDUAL GRANTS OF $25,000 GIVE PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE AND RECOGNITION TO TALENTED INSTRUMENTALISTS WHO HAVE GREAT POTENTIAL FOR SOLO CAREERS.

THIS YEAR THERE WERE FOUR RECIPIENTS.

THE COMMODORE STRING ♪ ♪

DOUBLE BASSIST XAVIER ♪ ♪

PIANIST DREW PETERSON.

♪ ♪ ♪

AND VIOLINIST FRANCISCO FUYANA.

♪ ♪

ORIGINALLY FROM MALLORCA, SPAIN, FUYANA HAS BEEN A GRADUATE OF THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL HE'S ALSO RECEIVED AN ARTIST DIPLOMA FROM THE USC THORNTON SCHOOL OF MUSIC WHERE HE WAS MENTORED BY THE VIOLINIST MEDORI.

A PERFORMER, HE'S APPEARED WITH ORCHESTRAS ALL OVER THE WORLD AND HE IS ON THE ROSTER OF THE CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY 2.

IN ADDITION TO HIS PERFORMING SCHEDULE HE MAKES TIME TO CREATE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITIES HE VISITS ON TOUR.

♪ ♪

.

MY PARENT, THEY'RE NOT MUSICIANS IN ANY WAY AND THEY WANTED ME TO PLAY AN STRAURMENT AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND I STARTED WHEN I WAS 4, ALMOST 5.

MY PARENTS AND MY FAMILY ARE EDUCATORS.

I TRY TO WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND THE WAY I LIKE TO DO IT IS THROUGH PERFORMING AND COLLABORATING AND I STARTED A PROGRAM IN SAN ANTONIO IN TEXAS THAT WILL BE IN ITS THIRD SEASON NOW IN THE SUMMER WHERE WE COMBINE CHAMBER MUSIC WITH EDUCATION, AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY A LOCATION PROGRAM WITH STUDENTS FROM THE AREA WHERE WE BRING IN 25 ARTISTS TO TEACH THEM, TO WORK WITH THEM AND PUT ON A FEW CONCERTS.

THIS INSTRUMENT THAT I'VE NOW BEEN PLAYING FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF OR SO AND WE CALL HER MISS MARY, AND IT'S THE MARY PORTMAN, AND IT WAS MADE IN 1735.

IT WAS ACTUALLY OWNED AND PLAYED BY FRITZ CHRYSLER.

WHEN MARYS IN GENERAL ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR VOLUME, BUT WITH THIS ONE, OF COURSE, YOU HAVE THAT SIDE AND THE G-STRING HAS THIS BEAUTIFUL, GORGEOUS, INTENSE BIG SOUND AND IT HAS THIS SWEETNESS.

IF YOU PLAY IT THE RIGHT WAY AND YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH IT YOU CAN UNLOCK ALL OF THESE COLORS AND THIS TYPE OF SOUND THAT THEY DON'T USUALLY HAVE.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

THE AVERY FISHER CAREER GRANT, I THINK, IS ONE OF THE CORNERSTONES IN CLASSICAL MUSIC HERE IN AMERICA AND ESPECIALLY IN NEW YORK.

IT SEEMS A LITTLE CRAZY TO ACTUALLY BE ON THAT STAGE AT THE GALA AS ONE OF THE NEWEST RECIPIENTS AND IT'S DEFINITELY A DREAM COME TRUE.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

I AM GOING TO PLAY GRANADOS WHICH IS QUITE A RARE PIECE AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I CHOSE IT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T GET PLAYED OFTEN ENOUGH, IN MY OPINION.

GRANADOS WAS QUITE YOUNG WHEN HE WROTE IT.

HE WAS IN PARIS AND HE ACTUALLY ONLY FINISHED ONE OF THE MOVEMENTS.

♪ ♪ ♪

IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE IT HAS THIS INFLUENCE FROM THE FRENCH LANGUAGE AND RAFAEL, AND IT ALMOST HAS THIS MEDITERRANEAN LIGHT.

I AM FROM MALLORCA SO THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME, AND I THOUGHT FOR THIS KIND OF OCCASION IT WAS IMPORTANT AND KIND OF NECESSARY THAT I REFLECT IT.

♪ ♪ ♪

I'LL BE PLAYING WITH JAISHI WHICH IS AN AMAZING PIANIST AND WE ACTUALLY MET THROUGH MY MENTOR MIDORI.

WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THINGS TOGETHER AND EVERY TIME WE HAVE A CHANCE TO PLAY TOGETHER ESPECIALLY RECITALS WE ALWAYS DO, AND WE HAVE A GREAT TIME.

IT'S A SONATA AND NOT JUST A SHOW PIECE.

THE PIANO PART IS QUITE COMPLEX AND QUITE DIFFICULT.

I WOULD SAY IT IS MORE DIFFICULT THAN MY ♪ ♪

THERE ARE CERTAIN MOMENTS WHEN YOU HAVE THIS DIALOGUE.

WE INTEREXCHANGE THE MELODIES.

SOMETIMES WE COME TOGETHER LIKE AT THE VERY END, BUT A LOT OF THE TIME THE PIANO GIVES US ALL OF THESE EXTRA COLORS AND ALL OF THESE RUNS WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL HARMONY.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

AS THE PIECE DEVELOPS IT GETS THIS INTENSE SECTIONS THAT FOR ME IS THE MOST LOVE STORIES OR LOVE AND DISAPPOINTMENTS AND HOW THE PERFORMER OR WHOEVER YOU WANT TO THINK OF IN THE MUSIC KEEPS TRYING TO GRASP THIS LOVE THAT HE HAS FOR A DIFFERENT PERSON.

IT GOES BOTH WAYS, AND ACTUALLY BY THE VERY END IT HAS THIS TRIUMPHANT ENDING AND IT BRINGS BACK ONE OF THE MAIN MELODIES AND FINALLY, YOU PLAY WITH THE PIANO TOGETHER.

♪ ♪

HE ACTUALLY HAS FOUND HIS LOVE AND HIS SOULMATE AND THEY WALK OFF INTO THE SUNSET AND HE FINISHES IT VERY QUIETLY.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ APPLAUSE ] ♪