Young Concert Artists Announces Finalists In 2024 Susan Wadsworth International Auditions

Young Concert Artists has announced the finalists in the 2024 Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. Of 37 semi-finalists, 12 musicians/ensembles will advance to the final round at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York City on Sunday, October 27, 2024. Sponsored by the Linda & Isaac Stern Charitable Foundation, the 2024 Final Auditions are open to the public, and will also be streamed live on The Violin Channel. A Winners Concert will follow on Monday, October 28, 2024 at 7:00pm at New York's Gilder Lehrman Hall at The Morgan Library & Museum.

The 2024 finalists, representing seven countries and six instruments, voice parts, and ensemble formats, are as follows:

Trio Azura [Duncan McDougall, violin, Yanfeng "Tony" Bai, piano, Yejin Hong, cello] (United States – Los Angeles-based)
Hoi Leong Cheong (Zach), piano (Hong Kong)
Elli Choi, violin (United States)
Gregory Feldman, baritone (United States)
Yang (Jack) Gao, piano (China)
Radu Ratoi, accordion (Romania)
Julian Rhee, violin (United States)
Koshiro Takeuchi, violin (Japan)
Kiron Tellian, piano (Austria)
Terra String Quartet [Harriet Langley, violin, Amelia Dietrich, violin, Chih-Ta Chen, viola, Audrey Chen, cello] (United States – New York City-based)
Derek Wang, piano (United States)
Rino Yoshimoto, violin (Japan)

Anchored by Young Concert Artists founder Susan Wadsworth and YCA President Daniel Kellogg*, the jury for the semi-final and final rounds also comprises pianists Inon Barnatan and Angela Cheng, violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama*, violinists Barry Shiffman* and Pamela Frank, flutist Marya Martin*, soprano Dawn Upshaw* and conductor and pianist Constantine Orbelian; along with Cristina Rocca, VP of Artistic Planning at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Donald Palumbo, vocal coach and former Chorus Master at the Metropolitan Opera; and Abhijit Sengupta, Director, Artistic Planning at Carnegie Hall (finals jury only). The jury makeup of artists, managers, concert presenters and conductors reflects YCA's broad connections throughout the classical music world, which in turn is one of the key benefits for the young artists accepted into its three-year YCA Jacobs Fellowship.

Named for a generous gift from Joan** and Irwin Jacobs, the YCA Jacobs Fellowship offers artists selected through YCA's famously rigorous audition process a holistic system of support and opportunities, including artist management services, an expanded digital portfolio, dedicated mentorship, community engagement training, and unparalleled performance opportunities, helping them develop their unique artistic voices. Preliminary rounds in this year's competition were conducted through live auditions in New York and Los Angeles, as well as virtual auditions via video submission. From a pool of 170 applicants, 37 artists from 14 countries were selected to compete in the semi-final round held October 23-25, 2024 at Merkin Hall.

The YCA Jacobs Fellowship is recognized as the world's most comprehensive, innovative, and well-resourced incubator for the brightest and most promising young artists, preparing these rising stars to lead the future of classical music. YCA Jacobs Fellows continue an illustrious legacy of YCA alumni that includes such luminaries as Emanuel Ax, Julia Bullock, Anne Akiko Meyers, Jeremy Denk, Ray Chen, Anne-Marie McDermott, Richard Goode, Dawn Upshaw, Mason Bates, Zlatomir Fung, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Kevin Puts, Pinchas Zukerman, Randall Goosby and Sasha Cooke.

*YCA alum
**in memoriam

2024 Susan Wadsworth International Auditions - Final Round

Sunday, October 27, 2024 at 10:00am ET
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center | New York, NY
Admission to the Finals is free of charge.
Livestream: https://theviolinchannel.com/vc-live-2024-young-concert-artists-international-auditions/

2024 Winners Concert

Monday, October 28, 2024 at 7:00pm ET
Gilder Lehrman Hall, The Morgan Library & Museum | New York, NY
Tickets: $25, available at yca.org/tickets

Photo Credit: Bianca Jenkins