Continued Excellence: Apprentices to Laureates

Valley of the Moon proudly celebrates the Laureates of our Apprenticeship Program, whose artistry, leadership, and creativity continue to trailblaze the future of historically informed performance worldwide. Select Laureates are invited to return as featured artists in future festival seasons, fostering ongoing collaboration and supporting the evolution of their artistic journeys. Laureates remain an integral part of the Valley of the Moon mission, inspiring continual artistic exploration and connection within our global community.

Our Laureates have embarked on distinguished international careers, earning Grammy Awards, Avery Fisher Career Grants, and top prizes at leading international competitions. They carry forward their collaborative spirit into new artistic realms, founding groundbreaking projects such as Twelfth Night, performing with prestigious ensembles worldwide, and shaping the next generation of musicians as faculty at leading conservatories and universities.

Valley of the Moon Laureates are represented in prestigious ensembles worldwide including:

The English Concert, Les Arts Florissants, Boston Early Music Festival, Ensemble Connect, Twelfth Night Ensemble, Handel & Haydn Society, Apollo’s Fire, Arcangelo, Ensemble Pygmalion, Trinity Baroque Orchestra, the Experiential Orchestra, Jupiter Ensemble, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Juilliard 415, San Antonio Philharmonic, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, New World Symphony, Jasper String Quartet, New Amsterdam Consort, Trio Ilona, Exponential Ensemble, New Haven Symphony, Terra String Quartet, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Academy of Ancient Music, Les Violons du Roy

Featured Alumni

Rachell  Ellen Wong, Violin 

Highlights: 

  • Winner of 2020 Avery Fisher Career Grant, the only Baroque artist in program’s history to receive this honor
  • Grand Prize winner of inaugural Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition
  • Co-founder of Twelfth Night Ensemble.
Apprentice, 2017
Laureate 2022, 2021, 2020, 2018
Joined VMMF Faculty in 2023

David Belkovski, Fortepiano

Highlights:

  • Conductor Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Juilliard415, New World Symphony
  • Co-founder of Twelfth Night Ensemble
  • Juilliard Faculty Member
Apprentice: 2019
Laureate: 2023, 2020

Ramón Carrero-Martínez, Viola

Highlights:

  • Grand Prize at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, 2022
  • Ensemble Connect Fellowship, Carnegie Hall (2023–2025)
  • Purchase College’s Conservatory of Music (SUNY) Faculty Member
Apprentice, 2021
Laureate 2025

Former Laureates

2025

Giancarlo Latta, violin
Ramón Carrero-Martínez, viola
Jeremy Klein, viola

2024

Madeleine Bouïssou, cello
Ava Gehlen-Williams, violin
Juliette Greer, violin
April Sun, fortepiano

2023

Axel Trolese, fortepiano
Carmen Johnson-Pájaro, violin
David Belkovski, fortepiano
Drake Driscoll, cello
Ravenna Lipchik, violin
Suren Barry, fortepiano

2022

Suren Barry, piano
Drake Driscoll, cello
Andrew Gonzalez, viola
Rachell Ellen Wong, violin

2021

Christian De Luca, fortepiano
Rachell Wong, violin

2020

Christian De Luca, fortepiano
Rachell Wong, violin
David Belkovski, fortpiano
Andrew Gonzalez, viola

2019

Madeleine Bouïssou, cello
Christian De Luca, fortepiano
Andrew Gonzalez, viola
Ana Kim, cello

2018

Andrew Gonzalez, viola
Toma Iliev, violin/viola
Augusta McKay Lodge, violin
Rachell Wong, violin