Denis de Coteau Fellowship
Advancing Opportunities for DIVERSE Musicians
The Denis de Coteau Fellowship provides funding, instruction, and performance opportunities for two San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM).
Offered through a partnership between San Francisco Ballet and SFCM, the Fellowship is named after SF Ballet’s longtime music director and SFCM faculty member Denis de Coteau.
About the fellowship
Denis de Coteau was one of the first Black music directors of a major U.S. orchestra. De Coteau joined SF Ballet in 1968 and served as its music director and conductor from 1974 to 1998 before being appointed music director emeritus in recognition of his leadership of the ballet orchestra, considered to be one of the finest. He was also conductor emeritus and a faculty member at SFCM and was known for his work with youth orchestras, including the Oakland Youth Symphony. De Coteau died in July 1999.
We are tremendously excited to be partnering with the SFCM on this project. By welcoming the fellows into our orchestra we hope to give them extraordinary experiences that will help them be successful in their careers and begin building a pipeline to better diversify our profession.
– Martin West, music director of the SF Ballet Orchestra
Learn more and apply for the fellowship here.
Fellowship Recipients
2026 2027 Recipients
SF Ballet Orchestra and San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) have selected two new students for this year’s Denis de Coteau Fellowship. This year’s fellows are Brianna Aye, violin, studying with Simon James, and Elmer Carter, cello, studying with Jennifer Culp.
“The importance of the de Coteau Fellowship goes far beyond music,” says Jason Hainsworth, Associate Dean of Community Development and Executive Director of Roots, Jazz, and American Music (RJAM) at SFCM. “It speaks to the impact that music, mentorship, and access can have in the lives of young musicians. Being afforded an opportunity such as this fellowship will undoubtedly shape the careers of young and talented musicians that are all too often unseen. Maestro de Coteau’s legacy helps to change that.”
Both musicians, whose personal and professional experiences contribute meaningfully to an expanded culture of diversity in the performing arts, will receive tuition, housing, and a stipend for SFCM’s one-year Professional Studies Certificate in Instrumental Performance. The two students will have the opportunity to play rehearsals and shows with the SF Ballet Orchestra, as well as other training and support, including invitations to mock auditions and financial support for professional auditions. As part of the SFCM certificate program, each fellow will participate in advanced, focused studies that emphasize individual instruction and preparation for a performance career.
“The Denis de Coteau fellowship has been an invaluable experience for me,” says Brianna Aye. “Through the fellowship, I have had many wonderful opportunities, including performing in [SF Ballet’s] annual Gala, for guests at the Legion of Honor museum, and in interactive children’s concerts. The members of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra have been a joy to work with. Everyone has been incredibly welcoming and kind, and I am deeply grateful to them for their generosity.”
