2021 Van Lier Fellowship in Music Performance & Composition

The Asian American Arts Alliance is pleased to administer, with support from the New York Community Trust, the 2021 Van Lier Fellowship. This year, the fellowship will be awarded to a music artist for the creation of new work in Music Performance and Composition.

A4 will grant an eight-month fellowship to one early-career Asian American music artist, age 30 or younger, whose work shows outstanding promise and who may benefit from further professional artistic development, and who is of limited financial means.

Each fellowship recipient will receive an unrestricted cash stipend of $6,000 and an eight-month fellowship tailored to respond to the unique needs of their practice. The fellowship includes artistic mentorship with an established or mid-career music professional, leadership coaching, and a range of technical support.

A4 will administer an open application process.

In addition to the cash stipend of $6,000, the fellow will participate in an eight-month program beginning in May 2021 and ending in December 2021. The fellowship is structured in three phases, each facilitating a different area of professional development.

Phase 1: Career Coaching
May – July 2021
The selected fellow will receive three coaching sessions from an esteemed career coach. The coaching will cover core value strengthening and goal setting/vision planning. These sessions are meant to offer personal and professional development tools for the fellow to empower themself as a leader of their vision, craft, and field.

Phase 2: Artistic Mentorship
July – September 2021
The selected fellow will receive artistic mentorship from an established or mid-career music professional. The mentorship will include one-on-one meetings with the appointed mentor. The mentor will be chosen by A4 staff based on field recommendations and with input from the fellow, giving consideration to their interests and preferences.

Phase 3: A4 Public Program
October – December 2021
The selected fellow will work with A4 staff to develop and present one community workshop or public presentation in December 2020 based on their experience with the fellowship or work generated through the process.

Requirements

The applicant MUST:

• Be of Asian heritage
• Be 30 years of age or younger at the time of the fellowship (born May 1, 1990 or later)
• Not be currently enrolled as a full-time or part-time student in a degree-granting program during the fellowship period (May – December 2021)
• Be a resident of New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, or Staten Island)
• Be currently living in the US and primarily based in New York City during the fellowship period (May – December 2021)

NOTE: Current A4 staff, board members, and review panelists are not eligible. Immediate family of A4 staff, board members, and review panelists are not eligible.

Selection Criteria:

• Artistic merit: Clarity, imaginativeness, and uniqueness based upon body of work and work samples submitted.
• Creation of new work: Description of the project to be developed or completed during the fellowship.
• Community impact: Articulation of interest or hopes to make a significant impact on the Asian American arts community based on narrative responses in the application.
• Potential for growth: Extent to which the fellowship will advance the applicant’s goals and career.
• Financial need: Demonstrated need for financial support. Finalists may be asked to provide further financial documentation.

Application Instructions

All applications are submitted online via Jotform here.

Music Performance:

• A 750-word (maximum) statement identifying the applicant’s approach to music performance, innovation within the genre of music, where the applicant is in their professional and artistic development, and how the fellowship will help them pursue their future ambitions and goals.
• A 250-word (maximum) statement articulating how the applicant hopes to make an impact on the Asian American artistic community through their work.
• A 500-word (maximum) statement describing the project to be created through the support of this fellowship.
• A 150-word (maximum) statement describing how the cash stipend awarded as part of this fellowship would financially support the project and the applicant’s livelihood as an artist.
• Letter of recommendation (from an educator or music professional experienced with the artist’s work)
• Resume and headshot
• Work samples (up to three contrasting work samples total):
• 2 audio only samples (MP3, WMA, WAV: maximum 3 minutes per work sample, please share a time stamp for where to start).
• 1 video sample (link to Youtube/Vimeo); maximum 3 minutes; if the sample exceeds 3 minutes, please indicate start and end times of the selection.
• A brief (less than 150 words total) description of each sample submitted and why it was chosen.

Samples should show breadth and ability of the performer. The strongest applicants will be able to demonstrate clarity, imagination, uniqueness, and innovative ability through the samples.

Music Composition:

• A 750-word (maximum) statement identifying the applicant’s approach to music composition, innovation within the genre of music, where the applicant is in their professional and artistic development, and how the fellowship will help them pursue their future ambitions and goals.
• A 250-word (maximum) statement articulating how the applicant hopes to make an impact on the Asian American artistic community through their work.
• A 500-word (maximum) statement describing the project to be created through the support of this fellowship.
• Letter of recommendation (from an educator or music professional experienced with the artist’s work)
• Resume and headshot
• A chronological list of compositions (including instrumentation, length, and performance history if applicable, for each).
• Work samples (up to three contrasting work samples total):
• Audio or Video of performances of three different works (link to Youtube/Vimeo or MP3/WAV/WMA Each sample should be no longer than three minutes long. Please indicate start and end timestamps for each selection). Audio/Video recordings must be of three different works. Recordings of all three works is recommended.
• Written scores of all three works as PDF files.
• A brief (less than 250 words each) description of each sample submitted and why it was chosen.

Learn more about the Van Lier Fellowship here.