UPDATE: Hunter College will resume normal in-person instruction and campus operations on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. Students should attend classes as scheduled. Employees should report to work as usual. The Hunter community should continue to monitor email and the Hunter website for any additional updates. Read more.

News /

Young Afghani Pianist Pursues His Dreams At Hunter College

August 7, 2019
Elham Fanous

Elham Fanous ‘19, an extraordinary young Afghani musician who fell in love with classical piano--even when the Taliban disallowed music--is featured in this "NBC Nightly News" segment. Elham’s journey brought him to Hunter in 2015, where he received a full scholarship to study music. He graduated this spring and will begin pursuing his master's degree at Manhattan School of Music in the fall. Elham credits Hunter faculty members Geoffrey Burleson, Quynh Nguyen, Steven Graff, Mark Spicer, and David Fulmer of the Music Department with fostering his artistic growth.

Watch the Full Segment on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt
PreviousNext
Office of Communications
for media information and more
Hunter on Demand

Enjoy virtual lectures, discussions and readings by members of Hunter’s distinguished faculty.
Join Us

Follow Us

NEWS SPOTLIGHT

February 25, 2026
A Message from Hunter College President Nancy Cantor

Dear Hunter College community members, We are aware of the incident during a recent virtual meeting of the New York City School District 3 ...
February 20, 2026
Hunter Alumna Named Top Curator of The Hip Hop Museum

Indira A. Abiskaroon Valbuena MHC ’15 has joined The Hip Hop Museum in The Bronx as creative director and director of curatorial affairs.
See All Spotlight News

EVENTS CALENDAR

Feb 25, 2026
Distinguished Writers Series - Susan Choi

The acclaimed novelist, Susan Choi, will be in conversation with Andrew Beasley (MFA '25), with introductions by Adam Haslett, as part of the ...
Feb 26, 2026
Black History Month Book Talk: "A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and ...

CNN anchor and author Abby Phillip will discuss her new book, A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power, which ...
See All Featured Events