The Vision Collective is Named the Recipient Of 2020 Robert Sherman Award

Just two years after launching, The VISION Collective, which builds meaningful relationships with and among refugees and new Americans by sharing and exchanging music between diverse communities, is being acknowledged for its significant leadership in the areas of arts education and community outreach. Tonight at 9:00 PM, the collective's Co-Founders, violinist Timothy Chooi, violist Sarah Sung and cellist Drake Driscoll, will receive The Robert Sherman Award for Music Education and Community Outreach from distinguished Radio Presenter Robert Sherman (for whom the award is named) and Terry McGraw of the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation.

The presentation takes place on the season opening program of the long-running Young Artists Showcase on New York City's classical radio station, WQXR. The award, given annually to students / alumni of The Juilliard School's Music Division, normally includes a purse of $10,000; this year it has been doubled to $20,000.

In addition to the presentation, the program will feature performances and interviews by The VISION Collective (VISION / the collective).

"Thank you. Receiving this award feels surreal," states Vision Executive Director / cellist Drake Driscoll. "We hope that this news will be a small sliver of light in the darkness that is 2020. We have seen first hand how music can heal and bring people together. These two things are central to the work that we do, and we believe that the world needs this now more than ever.

"The generous award from Robert Sherman and the McGraw Foundation will enable us to create and record our first album featuring new works written for the collective by refugee and immigrant composers, as well as help to fund two future trips. In 2021, pending COVID-19, the collective will return to German refugee camps for two weeks of rhythm and singing workshops. In partnership with El Sistema Greece and the International Organization for Migration, the collective will bring workshops to Athens refugee camps for the first time. These trips were scheduled to happen in August and September of 2020, but due to COVID-19 were rescheduled. We plan to continue these workshops over the next few years, eventually taking on a more permanent role in refugee camps, and fulfilling our long term goal of establishing sustainable music programs in refugee camps around the world."

"The three of us met through the Chamber Music Community Engagement class at The Juilliard School," explained violinist Timothy Chooi. "The class was taught by two of our biggest mentors, my teacher Catherine Cho and Drake's teacher Natasha Brofsky. Almost immediately, we bonded over a mutual interest in working with refugee and immigrant communities. Though initially we called ourselves The VISION Trio, we quickly changed our name to The VISION Collective as we had more colleagues that wanted to get involved with the project. We are now a group of eight performers and eight composers from all over the world. Many of our members are alums and current students at The Juilliard School, but we also have members from the Manhattan School of Music and New York University." (Read about all VISION composers and performers by visiting the website - link below).

Chooi continued, "We all have a story of immigrating to the United States, whether it be a hundred years ago or a few years ago. Music has been the most meaningful way for me to share my own personal story of coming to the States, and it has given me purpose in my life. In VISION concerts and workshops, we bring migrant stories to life through music while forming relationships with people from all over the world. This project holds a very special place in my heart. Our work is important, now more than ever."