Scholarship Recipient Update – Khari Joyner

24-year-old cellist Khari Joyner appeared on From the Top with Host Christopher O’Riley on Show 199, recorded in June 2009. On the show, he received From the Top’s Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. Here is what Khari has been up to since then, along with some of his thoughts on how the award has impacted his life.

“Mr. President, meet Khari Joyner.”

Khari Joyner entered Juilliard as an undergraduate and earned both his Bachelor’s and his Master’s Degree in Cello Performance. He is now continuing there, working toward his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Cello Performance. He shares his studies with teachers Timothy Eddy and Joel Krosnick, and also serves as a Teaching Assistant for Mr. Krosnick. He performs in a variety of ensembles at school and has been featured as soloist with the Juilliard Orchestra, New Juilliard Ensemble, and Juilliard Wind Ensemble, having performed at Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Carnegie Hall. Joyner also frequently participates in community engagement programs in the New York City and the Atlanta metro area. In addition to concertizing, Khari also pursued a mathematics concentration in an exchange program with Columbia University while studying in Juilliard’s accelerated program.

His most recent accomplishments include his solo debut with the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, performing the World Premiere of Carman Moore’s MADIBA for cello and orchestra under the direction of George Manahan, a private performance for President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, a performance of Britten’s Symphony for Cello and Orchestra as soloist with the Juilliard Orchestra, and the U.S. Premiere of the late Valentin Bibik’s Cello Concerto No. 2, with the New Juilliard Ensemble. Exemplifying outstanding achievement and leadership in his musical career, Joyner was awarded the William Schuman Prize at Juilliard’s 109th Commencement Ceremony. Other recent accolades include winning First Place in the Juilliard Concerto Competition and being named a fellow of the Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund, sponsored by the Tokyo Foundation.

What The Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award Meant To Khari

“At the time I received the scholarship, I wanted to keep growing artistically and in order to do that I needed to upgrade my cello. I used the Jack Kent Cook funding to purchase a new cello. Being able to do that made a huge difference and a lot of things came from it. The one I found was a great choice for me.   I sold the one I had so all the funds covered it, and for me it was a big step up. There are always better cellos, but I used that new cello to its full potential. Since then I’ve acquired another cello, one that’s on loan from Juilliard, but the one I bought with the funds truly was a great cello for me at the time. This allowed me to feel more comfortable in terms of performing and applying to schools.  I also felt better able to learn and perform at festivals, such as the one I went to in Fountainbleau in France, so I felt and still feel that receiving the scholarship allowed me to learn different ways to play and thus extended my artistry.”

Learn more about Khari and listen to him by clicking here.