Some shall have more prizes: $100k for Hilary

The US violinist Hilary Hahn last night received this year’s $100,000 Avery Fisher award for outstanding artistic achievement and leadership in classical music.

She says: ‘From the beginning of my career, I saw the Avery Fisher Prize as a high honour: the recipients were people who had already made a historically large impact in our field, yet had the stature, skill, and curiosity to move in any direction,’ said Hahn on her award. ’When I was awarded the Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1995, when I was 15, it felt like a recognition that this could someday be in my future. It encouraged me to push hard to have my voice heard as an artist, to expand my horizons with new projects, and to strive to deepen the artistic meaning of my work.

‘Having now come full circle, I feel proud of what I have achieved as an artist, and validated that that work has been seen and recognised by my community. But most important, I feel encouraged and inspired to keep forming connections and building community with audiences, composers, and fellow artists around the world.’