All Classical Portland Extends Pianist María García's Residency, Announces 2023 Young Artist In Residence & More

All Classical Portland, the Pacific Northwest's premier 24-hour classical music radio station, is proud to announce 16-year-old pianist, violinist, and composer Amir Avsker as its 2023 Young Artist in Residence. A sophomore at Westview High School in Beaverton, OR, Amir began playing the piano in 2014 and the violin in 2019. He has participated in and won several local and international music competitions and festivals, including the 29th Young Artist Debut Competition and the 2022 InterHarmony International Music Festival in Italy. To date, Amir has written over 40 original compositions, including works for solo instruments, chamber ensembles, and orchestras.

"This residency will be an extraordinary experience for me," says Amir, "But also for aspiring young musicians, whom I hope will be inspired and empowered to see the

immense support for classical music in our community. The most important and enjoyable part of making music for me is working with other passionate musicians. With this title, I hope to bring together my generation of talented musicians."

Amir will help create content for the station's digital channels as well as perform on a future episode of the weekly program Thursdays @ Three, hosted by Christa Wessel. He will work closely with pianist María García, All Classical Portland's professional Artist in Residence, whose residency has recently been extended. First appointed in 2022, María has performed on the station's on-air programs and in-person events, written for the station's Arts Blog, and presented bilingual story times in English and Spanish on All Classical's second station, the International Children's Arts Network. She will continue to offer exclusive content on the station's two networks and help mentor the Young Artists and Ambassadors.

First launched in 2019, All Classical Portland's Young Artist in Residence program has continued to grow and flourish since its inception. In 2022, the station expanded its youth residency program with the first-of-its-kind Young Artist Ambassadors, building upon its commitment to serving youth regionally and across the country. Now, the station is proud to announce a new cohort of Ambassadors for 2023: 18-year-old home-schooled cellist and vocalist Catherine Hartrim-Lowe, 16-year-old Westview High School junior and violinist Ellie Kim, and 17-year-old Aloha High School senior and violinist Timothy Lee.

"Inspired by the abundance of incredible talent in our region, All Classical's young artist residency engages and champions the up-and-coming musicians of our region," shares Communications Manager Kristina Becker, who oversees the station's unique Artist in Residence programs. "These residencies provide an opportunity for us to amplify talent, voices, and perspectives, and to showcase these dedicated musicians on our global radio stage, reaching listeners across the Pacific Northwest and far beyond."

The Young Artist programs include a financial award to support continued studies, opportunities to perform on radio programs and at events, and access to All Classical Portland's expansive network, recording facilities, and digital archives.

The Artist in Residence program is just one way that the station advances equity and inclusion and continued appreciation for classical music and education. All Classical Portland also uplifts young and diverse creatives in the Pacific Northwest through an internship program, giving college students and recent graduates the opportunity to learn about broadcast media, station operations, and how to make outstanding radio and podcasts. Since 2013, All Classical Portland has spotlighted young musicians every Saturday at 5:00 PM PT on the series On Deck with Young Musicians. The program is hosted by Christa Wessel, Amy Faust, Raúl Gómez-Rojas, and Adam Eccleston.

Previous Young Artists in Residence include double bass player Maggie Carter (2022), cellist Taylor Yoon (2019), and pianist Natalie Tan (2020). The station named its first-ever Young Artist Ambassadors in 2022. The inaugural class of Ambassadors included violinist Noah Carr, flute player Diego Fernandez, oboist Ben Price, and violinist Nate Strothkamp. All Classical Portland's previous professional Artists in Residence include concert pianist Hunter Noack (2019) and flutist Adam Eccleston (2020-2021).

To learn more about All Classical Portland's Artist in Residence programs, as well as past and current artists and opportunities, visit allclassical.org/artists-in-residence.

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