(Credit: Courtesy of Boston Symphony Orchestra)

The Boston Symphony Orchestra has announced three new fellows to the Susan W. and Stephen D. Paine BSO Resident Fellowship for Early-Career Musicians.

The company noted that violinist Rachel Arcega Orth, cellist Maximiliano Oppeltz, and violist Yuri Hughes are the recipients of the fellowship.

Launched at the start of the 2022–2023 season, the fellowship supports string players from historically underrepresented backgrounds through paid appointments with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

The fellows will perform at Symphony Hall, Tanglewood, Carnegie Hall, and on national and international tours with both the BSO and Boston Pops. They will also have an annual salary, health benefits, and a housing stipend.

Orth, Oppeltz, and Hughes will first perform with the Boston Symphony Orchestra this fall and will be appointed for one year with the opportunity to renew for a second year.

In a statement, Music Director Andris Nelsons said, “It is my great pleasure to welcome Rachel Arcega Orth, Max Oppeltz, and Yuri Hughes to the Boston Symphony Orchestra community. By performing regularly at Symphony Hall and Tanglewood, these talented musicians will have the opportunity to gain firsthand experience at one of the world’s finest orchestras as they learn about the realities of being a professional symphonic musician and prepare for future auditions. I am sure that we, in turn, will benefit greatly from their excitement, musicality, and passion for learning and growing in their music at this pivotal time in their careers.”

Orth is a Filipino-American who is an active soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer. She has performed across the United States, Canada, France, Mexico, Peru, and Argentina and as a freelance musician, she has performed with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, New World Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and Spoleto Festival Orchestra.

Oppeltz is a cellist who started playing at the age of four as a student of El Sistema in Caracas, Venezuela. He currently plays with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.

Finally,  Hughes is a New York City-based violist who has performed as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of the U.S.A. and with such ensembles as the Albany and Harrisburg symphonies.