In a shared celebration and commitment to craft, FENDI and The Juilliard School are proud to launch the FENDI Vanguard Award. The Juilliard FENDI Vanguards are composed of the next generation of groundbreaking performers, creators, and entertainers – poised to be future leaders in their chosen discipline and across theperforming arts. Four students: one dancer, one actor or playwright, and two musicians has been selected from Juilliard’s exceptionally talented student body to receive this honor, each of whom embody the promise of a career on the vanguard.
“Everyone who was chosen for this is in one way or another destined for greatness, I think it’s all about striving for excellence rather than perfection,” says FENDI Vanguard Music student William Leathers.
“This award has cracked something open in terms of thinking about my art post-Juilliard,” Says FENDI Vanguard Drama student Morgan Scott.
For over a century, The Juilliard School has nurtured artists on the vanguard: exceptional talents that have gone on to push boundaries and revolutionize dance, drama, and music. Juilliard’s partnership with FENDI is a part of this legacy.
“Hearing how FENDI has an ethos of staying true to who you are—I think it’s our job to spread that into our communities. If we can create some ease and compassion and support for one another in terms of celebrating our individuality, that’s a great way to collaborate”, said FENDI Vanguard Dance student Cyrie Topete.
“I’d never really thought about how one clothing item can make you feel like the next best thing. It’s exciting to have that opportunity and to have another level of help through this award. I’m excited to meet with the team at Fendi—to get to talk to people who are also striving for excellence in a completely different field than ours and hear about their opportunities and experiences” said FENDI Vanguard Music student Adam Phan.
The partnership follows FENDI Renaissance – Anima Mundi, the livestreaming FENDI series released in January 2021 in collaboration with The Juilliard School. Following an established history of supporting emerging artists from the design and visual arts disciplines, the Roman Maison was also proud to start a donation program with Juilliard towards student scholarships. In the spirit of supporting creativity at every level, the program enables current and future young studentartists in the disciplines of music, dance and drama to realize their highest aspirations.
“Following the collaboration for the Anima Mundi series which brought a celebration of the arts through the student’s performance, FENDI is proud to give an opportunity to students to further explore their craft and bring their talentsinto the world with the support of both FENDI and The Juilliard School,” said FENDI Chairman and CEO, Serge Brunschwig.
Nominees for the FENDI Vanguard Award were chosen from among Juilliard students about to begin their final year of study in a Bachelor, Master, or advanced Diploma program. Recipients are selected through a nomination process by divisional leadership and faculty.
In addition to the Vanguard Awards, Juilliard will host a virtual Entrepreneurship Symposium in collaboration with FENDI on Wednesday, July 21, 2021, from 11am to 3pm (ET). This symposium will offer attendees the opportunity to participate in cross-industry conversations with Juilliard alumni and leaders from FENDI, who will share their knowledge and offer real-world examples of how a global perspective and entrepreneurial spirit are tied to creative success.
The event’s keynote panel, Creativity Without Borders—A Global Approach to Artistic Innovation and Entrepreneurship, will feature FENDI Executives; Ulysses Owens Jr. (BM ’06, jazz studies); and Andrea Miller (BFA ’04, dance); and will be moderated by Alice Jones, assistant dean of community engagement and career services for Juilliard.
Meet the FENDI Vanguards
Cyrie Topete – Dance
Born and raised in Peoria, Arizona, Cyrie has been pursuing her dance career since the age of 12. In addition to Cyrie’s training, she has performed works by Paul Taylor, Peter Chu, Aszure Barton, Marcus Jarrell Willis, Jae Man Joo, Didy Velman, Jamar Roberts and many others. Additionally, she has attended summer intensives and workshops including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Spring Intensive, Axis Connect, Chuthis Movement Intensive, YoungArts LA, BODYTRAFFIC, Springboard Fall x, Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Program and many more. She’s currently attending The Juilliard School as a rising senior.
Morgan Scott – Drama
Morgan hails from Greenville, South Carolina where she attended Woodmont High School and the Greenville County Fine Arts Center. In 2017, she received recognition as best supporting actress at the Southeastern Theatre Conference for her performance as Nell Hicks in A Taste of Sunrise which was documented by PBS as part of their Drama Arts Toolkit series. She was a Gluck Community Service Fellow for the 2019-20 school year. Her group traveled to hospitals, assisted living centers, and mental health facilities throughout New York. During her 2nd year, Morgan played Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Through a partnership with The Acting Company, the show toured Brooklyn giving many middle school students first time exposure to Shakespeare performed live. Morgan serves as a Juilliard Community Coach for incoming students. She is entering her fourth year at Juilliard, favorite projects include Clare Barron’s Dance Nation (Zuzu), and Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters (Anfisa) among others.
William Leathers – Music, Trumpet
Born in Mississauga, Ontario, and currently residing in New York City, 20-year-old William Leathers is an award-winning trumpet player. Noted for “the sparkling clarity” of his trumpet solos, Leathers has performed with several orchestras including the combined orchestra of the Royal Academy and Juilliard, in which he played principal trumpet at Royal Albert Hall in 2019, and with the Juilliard Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in 2020, where he played principal trumpet in Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. He has performed across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Caribbean earning awards and accolades as he gained increased noteworthiness. A Bach Brass artist, he is a proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at Juilliard.
Adam Phan – Music, Harp
Hailing from from Cedar Hill, Texas, Adam has participated in masterclasses with renowned harpists Judy Loman, Gretchen Van Hoesen, Alice Giles, and Gillian Benet Sella. Phan has also spent summers as a member of the National Youth Orchestra touring both China and Europe with world class conductors, Valery Gergiev, and Charles Dutoit. He has attended the Aspen Music Festival with Anneleen Lenaerts and Nancy Allen. Phan is proud a recipient of the Kovner Fellowship at The Juilliard School and a Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist. Adam is currently attending The Juilliard School where he is studying with Harpist, Nancy Allen, of the New York Philharmonic.