Some of the most artistically talented young people in Texas will take the stage Monday night — not for a performance, but to be recognized for their potential.
Every two years, the Butler Texas Young Masters honors students in grades 8 through 11 with $10,000 grants meant to help them pursue their arts.
This year, they’ve named 15 recipients who represent all parts of Texas and disciplines from musical theater to film to instrumental music.
The award is administered by Texas Cultural Trust. CEO Heidi Marquez Smith said since it was established in 2002, they’ve awarded more than $1.3 million to 199 students.
“We’re so thrilled when we go back and look at our alumni to see the incredible things they’re not doing just in Texas, but around the world,” Marquez Smith said.
Pianist Josephine Chow is one of the 2026 recipients. She’s an 11th grader from Austin.
Josephine Chow
“So with the grant money, I’ll be going to Juilliard Summer Piano this summer. It’s at the Juilliard’s campus in Lincoln Center and I’ll be able to have direct mentorship from the faculty at Juilliard and also meet other pre-college artists from different disciplines. Like there will be singers and dancers as well and I’m just really excited to go there and be able to immerse myself in this wonderful artistic environment,” Chow said.
Marquez Smith said many recipients have gone on to Juilliard, to Broadway and to perform abroad. Still, she says this investment brings value to Texas.
“It reminds us that we need to invest in the arts and arts education and not necessarily because everyone is going to become an artist, but because we recognize the impact that it has in our lives, our health, our wellbeing, our education, our economy,” Marquez Smith said.
The 2026 class of Butler Texas Young Masters.
Chow said she wants to pursue a piano performance degree in college and enter big competitions like the Cliburn in Fort Worth.
“I also think that a big goal of mine would be to be a music educator,” Chow said. “I’d also like to bring music education to other kids because I think learning music is really one of the most joyful things we can experience. If you ask any other pre-college musician, they probably don’t have an activity they can compare that gives them the same high or the same fulfillment as playing music does. So I hope I can bring that to more people.”
Her advice to young artists is not to lock themselves up and only focus on practicing.
“Don’t sacrifice your relationships or your time with other people,” Chow said. “I think these things, all these experiences, you could say, ‘oh, I’d rather be at home practicing.’ But when you go out and you meet people and you make new memories in a way, these experiences influence your voice as an artist. So I think it’s more meaningful to go and experience that than just stick yourself in a practice room all the time.”
The Butler Texas Young Masters event Monday evening will feature performances from three alumni Young Masters along with professional supports such as author Elizabeth Crook and Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson.
