American cellist John-Henry Crawford is scheduled to make his debut at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall on October 3, 2023. Crawford holds the distinction of being the inaugural recipient of the American Recital Debut Award, a newly established accolade created in the spring of 2023 to provide an emerging musician with the opportunity to perform at a globally renowned concert venue.

For this recital, Crawford will once again collaborate with Victor Santiago Asunción, both as a pianist and as the founder of the award. The recipient of the award is handpicked by Asunción and a panel of esteemed musicians, with the intention of recognizing a performer who can deliver inventive and boundary-pushing concert experiences.

The first portion of the recital will center on compositions by American music greats, including Lukas Foss, Amy Beach, George Gershwin, and Samuel Barber. Particularly noteworthy is David Sanford's piece titled "Seventh Avenue Kaddish," a musical lament dedicated to the victims of the September 11 attacks, envisioning the cellist's presence near Ground Zero during that tragic event.

In the latter half of the recital, Crawford will revisit Rachmaninoff's Sonata in G Minor and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, both of which were featured on their highly acclaimed 2023 album, "Voice of Rachmaninoff."

Originally hailing from Louisiana, John Henry Crawford gained recognition as the winner of the 2019 International Carlos Prieto Cello Competition. He was honored as the Young Artist of the Year by the Classical Recording Foundation and made his solo debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra after winning First Prize in the orchestra's Greenfield Competition.

Crawford has performed in 25 U.S. states as well as in countries including Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Mexico, and Switzerland, gracing prestigious venues such as The International Concert Series of the Louvre in Paris, Volkswagen's Die Gläsern Manufaktur in Dresden, and the inaugural season of the Tippet Rise Arts Center in Montana.

Having studied under the guidance of Peter Wiley and Carter Brey at the Curtis Institute of Music, Crawford furthered his musical education by obtaining an Artist Diploma at the Manhattan School of Music under Philippe Muller, and a Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School with Joel Krosnick. Subsequently, he pursued advanced studies in Chicago under Hans Jørgen Jensen.