Issam Elayyan of Jordan
VSA arts announced the recipients of the 2008 International Young Soloists Award May 1. The award annually recognizes outstanding young musicians with disabilities to encourage them in their pursuit of a career. All types of music are accepted - country, classical, jazz, rap, rock, bluegrass, world, etc. A committee of distinguished music professionals selects the award recipients, who receive $5,000 and will perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
The 2008 recipients are:
- The MacIntyre Family Singers, a vocal ensemble from Scottsdale, AZ
- Ashlee Young, a 20-year-old classical pianist from Billings, MT
- Issam Ibrahim Elayyan, a 21-year-old oud player from Amman, Jordan
- Avocat Rap Bi, a hip hop ensemble from Dakar, Senegal.
The recipients will perform together at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater on May 29, 2008. Ticket information is available on the Kennedy Center Web site.
