Eric Lu was revealed as one of five recipients of the 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grants in a special hour-long programme on WQXR hosted by Elliott Forrest last night. Eric joins a prestigious list of Grant recipients from the past 45 years including Joshua Bell, Hilary Hahn and Yuja Wang. Eric Lu was chosen by a Recommendation Board and Executive Committee who believe he has great potential for a solo career. Following the announcement on WQXR last night, a virtual ceremony was broadcast, which can be watched on the Avery Fisher Artist Program website.
Eric Lu commented:
“I wish to thank Deborah Borda and the Executive Committee for awarding me an Avery Fisher Career Grant. In these challenging times it is a huge boost to receive this recognition. We are living in a time when the arts are needed more than ever and the sustained support for young artists epitomized by Avery Fisher’s philanthropical activities in his lifetime and his numerous endowments remain a source of inspiration.”
Eric Lu, now 23, first gained international attention as a prize-winner of the 2015 Chopin International Piano Competition before winning First Prize at The Leeds International Piano Competition in 2018. Since then, Eric has signed with leading artist management company Askonas Holt, released an album on Warner Classics, made his debut at the BBC Proms and became a BBC New Generation Artist (2019-2022). Eric has made debuts all around the world, performing with leading orchestras and conductors in prestigious concert halls.
The Avery Fisher Career Grants are a long-standing philanthropic tradition started by the late Avery Fisher in 1976. Since then, 161 Career Grants have been awarded to young musicians who are either US citizens or permanent US residents. Other recipients of the Grant this year include cellists Sterling Elliott and Oliver Herbert, and violinists Geneva Lewis and Kevin Zhu.
Click to watch an excerpt from Eric Lu’s performance of Beethoven Piano Concerto No.4 with Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in February 2021.