Prestigious two-year Stone Fellowship is designed to foster the development of early-career musicians with ethnicities historically underrepresented in the field of period performance.
BOSTON | The Handel and Haydn Society announces the selection of emerging instrumentalists Eliana Estrada (violin) and Sarah Ghandour (cello) as Stone Fellows for the 2025-2027 seasons, following a competitive live audition process. A first of its kind among period-instrument orchestras, the H+H Stone Fellowship provides an unparalleled two-year learning experience that includes training and mentorship, performances with the H+H Orchestra and Chorus, career counseling, and additional coaching and performance opportunities with partners including the New England Conservatory (NEC).
Launched in 2023, the Fellowship serves as a centerpiece of H+H’s long-term commitment to create pathways toward a more diverse and inclusive orchestra of tomorrow, and to foster a more equitable field on a national scale. The Fellowship is made possible through a transformative $1 million gift from the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
H+H launched a nationwide search in the spring, accepting applications from recent graduates of top performing arts schools. “Both Eliana and Sarah stood out not only because of their incredible talent, but for the energy and passion they have for early music and period performance,” said H+H Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen. “I am confident that over the next two years Eliana and Sarah will become part of the fabric of H+H and contribute much to Boston’s vibrant music community.”
Eliana Estrada began her musical journey at age four with fiddle music. Her passion for historical performance took root at Oberlin College and Conservatory, where she received her Bachelor of Music in baroque violin and served as concertmaster of the baroque ensemble. She continued her focus at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (Master of Music), again leading the baroque ensemble as concertmaster and winning the 2023 and 2024 SFCM Baroque Concerto Competitions. Eliana is a dedicated teacher, having worked with students of all ages as a chamber music coach. She is a founding member of the period instrument quartet, Quartet Novalis based in New York City. Some of Eliana’s specific musical passions include studying 17th-century German works, curating fun and unique recital programs, and introducing the delights of historical performance to new audiences.
Lebanese-American cellist Sarah Ghandour recently completed her Doctor of Musical Arts at Stony Brook University, where she also earned her Master’s degree under the mentorship of cellist Colin Carr. Originally from San Francisco, she began her cello studies with Irene Sharp and later worked closely with Jean-Michel Fonteneau at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She completed her undergraduate studies at Bard Conservatory, receiving a Bachelor of Music under the tutelage of Peter Wiley and a Bachelor in Mathematics. Sarah was the honored recipient of the 2017–2018 Harriet Hale Woolley Scholarship to complete a one-year artist residency in Paris, France. She won the solo competition at the 2019 Pablo Casals Festival, and has performed at various other festivals including the Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival, Les Rencontres Musicales de Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne, Music@Menlo, and Yellow Barn. Most recently, Sarah was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Slovenia, where she researched and performed Slovenian folk and classical music across the country. In addition to the H+H Stone Fellowship, this fall she will begin studies in baroque cello with Phoebe Carrai at The Juilliard School.
Violinists Carmen Lavada Johnson-Pájaro and Amelia Sie served as the inaugural H+H Stone Fellows during the 2023-25 seasons and reflected on the experience:
“H+H truly believes in creating an inclusive space where anyone and everyone can connect through the experience of music. I was also happy to learn about the many ways H+H is involved in the community outside of concerts at Symphony Hall.” – Carmen Lavada Johnson-Pájaro
“I had never played Messiah before. I feel so lucky to have had my first Messiah experience with such a high caliber group brought together by the verve and joy of Jonathan Cohen’s leadership. What really sticks with me about my time with H+H are the moments of musical fulfillment.” – Amelia Sie
About the Handel and Haydn Society
Boston’s Grammy-winning Handel and Haydn Society performs Baroque and Classical music with a freshness, a vitality, and a creativity that inspires all ages. Called “one of the most exciting ensembles of historically informed performances in the world” (OperaWire), H+H has been captivating audiences for 210 consecutive seasons (the most of any performing arts organization in the United States), speaking to its singular success at welcoming new audiences to this extraordinary music, generation after generation.
H+H performed the “Hallelujah” Chorus from Handel’s Messiah in its first concert in 1815, gave the American premiere in 1818, and ever since has been both a musical and a civic leader in the Boston community. During the Civil War, H+H gave numerous concerts in support of the Union Army (H+H member Julia Ward Howe wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”) and on January 1, 1863, H+H performed at the Grand Jubilee Concert celebrating the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation. Two years later, H+H performed at the memorial service for Abraham Lincoln.
H+H’s Orchestra and Chorus delight more than 76,000 listeners annually through concerts at Symphony Hall and other leading venues as well as radio broadcasts. Through the Karen S. and George D. Levy Learning and Education Program, H+H supports seven youth choirs of singers in grades 2–12 and provides thousands of complimentary tickets to students and communities throughout Boston, ensuring the joy of music is accessible to all. H+H provides deeply discounted tickets and hosts special events for undergraduate students and concertgoers under 40 through the H+H Masterpass and H² membership programs. H+H has released 16 CDs on the CORO label and has toured nationally and internationally. In all these ways, H+H fulfills its mission to inspire the intellect, touch the heart, elevate the soul, and connect all of us with our shared humanity through transformative experiences with Baroque and Classical music.