The Kronos Performing Arts Association announced today that the Kronos Quartet will welcome a new cellist, Sunny Jungin Yang, to the ensemble this June. Yang will succeed Jeffrey Zeigler, who has performed with the quartet for the past eight seasons and will step down from the group this May.

Here are a few classical, jazz, and composition awardees whose statuette pick-ups you might have missed.

The American Pianists Association has commissioned works for solo piano from five American women composers: Lisa Bielawa, Margaret Brouwer, Gabriela Lena Frank, Missy Mazzoli, and Sarah Kirkland Snider.

The Vilcek Prize for the Arts, this year focusing on the field of contemporary music, has been awarded to cellist Yo-Yo Ma. James Abrahart, Samuel Bazawule, and Tigran were named the winners of the three Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Contemporary Music, each receiving a $35,000 cash award.

27 composers received support for premieres and first performances of their work, spanning from April of 2012 to October of 2013.

American Composers Orchestra Music Director George Manahan will be presented with the 2012 Ditson Conductor’s Award, for his support of American music, during an ACO concert he will conduct at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall on January 18, 2013

Creative Capital has announced its 2013 project grants in the categories of Emerging Fields, Literature and the Performing Arts. Music recipients include Taylor Ho Bynum, Jace Clayton, Corey Dargel, Dohee Lee, and Holcombe Waller.

Three ensembles and five presenters will be recognized with CMA/ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming during the 35th Chamber Music America National Conference in New York City. A ceremony will be held at the Westin New York at Times Square on January 20, 2013.

The Recording Academy has released the list of nominees for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. There are a total of 81 categories (down from last year’s 101).

Musicians Jack DeJohnette, Colin Jacobsen and Eric Jacobsen, Claire Lynch, Joanie Madden, Eugene Rodriguez, Tony Trischka, and Edward White are among the 54 awardees (including four collaboratives) to receive 
one of 50 USA Fellowships from United States Artists.