Harvard Office for the Arts Announces 2026 Artist Development Fellowship Recipients

The Office for the Arts at Harvard and the Office of the Dean for the Arts and Humanities announce the 2026 recipients of the annual Artist Development Fellowships. The program supports the artistic development of students demonstrating unusual accomplishments and/or evidence of significant artistic promise. The program is administered by the OFA, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships and the Mignone Center for Career Success, and is open to sophomores and juniors, and seniors in extraordinary circumstances, currently enrolled in Harvard College.

This year, two members of the Department of Music have received Artist Development Fellowships: Yael Danon '28, a Harvard-Berklee Joint Studies student, and Lara Rui-Qi Tan '27, a Music and Government double concentrator. To see the full list of recipients, visit the Harvard Office for the Arts website. 

Yael Danon ’28, a resident of Quincy House, is a Harvard-Berklee joint studies student, singer-songwriter, and co-producer, awarded a fellowship to support songwriting and production activities in New York City culminating in the completion of her album Evil Eye. Her music blends Middle Eastern and alternative Latin influences, with a focus on storytelling and genre exploration. She has performed at the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy, opened for Sebastián Yatra in Panama, and will perform at Harvard's Yardfest on April 19th, opening for Ravyn Lenae. She released her debut album Diary Girl in 2023. Alongside her artistic work, she founded “The Mix Network,” a cross-university music industry community spanning multiple Boston schools with 400+ members, supporting emerging artists and students pursuing careers on the business side of music.

Lara Tan Rui Qi ’27, a resident of Cabot House double concentrating in Music and Government with a secondary in European Hist, Politics & Society, is awarded a fellowship to attend the Oxenfoord International Summer School where she will attend masterclasses in opera, art song, and chamber music. A Singaporean-Malaysian soprano, Lara has performed with ensembles such as the Singapore Symphony Children’s Choir, New Opera Singapore, the Harvard University Choir, Harvard College Opera, Bach Society Orchestra, and Handel and Haydn Society. Equally passionate about music scholarship, performance, and administration, she has held leadership and production positions in various Harvard arts organizations, including the University Choir, HCO, and Lowell House Opera.