Four $2500 annual scholarships for young musicians with disabilities between the age of 14 and 25, or for musical ensembles which have a member with disabilities.
VSA is an international organization focused on arts and disability founded in 1971 by the ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to provide artistic and educational opportunities for people with disabilities and to increase access to the arts for everyone.
Each year, the organization awards up to four $2500 scholarships to young musicians with disabilities who are between the age of 14 and 25. The VSA international Young Soloists Competition is open to people with any disability from all over the world. Applicants may apply as instrumental or vocal soloists or as ensembles. In the case of the ensembles, at least one member of the band (up to 5 members) should be classified as a young person with disabilities.
Besides being awarded the scholarship, the selected applicants will have the opportunity to perform at the John F. Kenedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C as well as to participate in other activities useful for their professional development. Any musical genre is accepted, including classical, country, bluegrass, folk, Latin, indie, jazz, hip-hop, pop, rap, rock, R&B/blues and World. The winners’ performances, taking place in late May, will be featured on the Millennium Stage webpage and the concert will be available to the public through online live streaming.
The deadline for the application is February 10, 2024 and the winners will be notified by March, 2024.
Applicants should contact the Office of VSA and Accessibility at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts either by phone or email in order to receive a hard copy of the application, guidelines and further information.