Young Concert Artists Reveals Spring 2024 Highlights

The Young Concert Artists organization has revealed a full slate of engagements for its roster of rising performers during the Spring 2024 season. In addition to concerts and recitals featuring YCA roster artists and alumni, YCA presents a series of community engagement initiatives and educational resources including its Career Catalyst courses offering guidance on building thriving and sustainable careers in music.

Through a famously rigorous audition process, honed over more than 60 years, YCA annually selects a new class of the most outstanding young musicians to take part in its three-year YCA Jacobs Fellowship. Artists selected for the program benefit from a holistic system of support and opportunities, including mentorship, training, career management and high-profile debuts in New York and Washington D.C. Throughout their tenure, emerging artists benefit from YCA's connections with the industry's managers, concert presenters, conductors of major orchestras, and financial supporters, as well as its long-standing reputation for discovering and furthering the careers of extraordinary young artists. YCA alumni include 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, Sasha Cooke among many others. Applications for the 2024 YCA Auditions are now being accepted, with an early deadline of Monday, June 3, 2024 ($65 fee) and a final deadline of Thursday, August 1, 2024 ($95 fee). The Final Auditions will take place on Sunday, October 27, 2024 at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York.

In the last three years, the Young Concert Artists roster has seen a meteoric rise in bookings across North America, more than doubling pre-pandemic levels. YCA Artist Managers have greatly expanded the reach and demand for each of the artists, resulting in busier concert calendars, higher-profile debuts, and greater industry attention. Spring 2024 highlights include: pianist Albert Cano Smit, with the Waterbury Symphony, Albany Symphony, Mississippi Gulf Coast Symphony, Rochester Symphony, and Edmonton Symphony; violinist Bella Hristova with the New York Youth Symphony; accordionist Hanzhi Wang with Salina Symphony in Kansas; bass-baritone Joseph Parrish with Memphis Symphony, Aiken Symphony, Princeton Pro Musica, Ann Arbor Symphony, and Cincinnati Opera; pianist Maxim Lando with the Czech National Philharmonic Orchestra; and pianist Zhu Wang with the New York Youth Symphony and Fort Collins Symphony. YCA artists also take part in several prominent tours: Xavier Foley, double bass, tours with Sphinx Virtuosi and YING quartet; Steven Banks continues to tour the Billy Childs' Saxophone Concerto with Sinfonia Gulf Coast, National Symphony, and Evanston Symphony; and YCA Composer-in-Residence Nina Shekhar's Lumina tours across the country with La Jolla Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Eugene Symphony, Yale Symphony Orchestra, and the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, culminating in the premiere of a new piece commissioned and performed by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

This spring, YCA artists will be featured in a series of recitals, New York and Washington D.C. debuts and other engagements culminating in two high-profile evenings in New York. On Thursday, April 4, 2024 at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall, multiple current YCA artists and YCA alumni will perform in the Young Concert Artists 63rd Annual Gala honoring Damian Woetzel, President of The Juilliard School and Artistic Director of the Vail Dance Festival. The prestigious annual gala is perhaps the most visible representation of the links YCA maintains between classical music's leading artists and institutions, and its next generation of rising stars. Chaired by Ann Ziff, chairperson of the Metropolitan Opera, the evening will showcase performances by YCA and Juilliard alumni Anne Akiko Meyers, GRAMMY-nominated violinist; Jeremy Denk, piano, winner of a of a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship; Zlatomir Fung, the youngest cellist ever to win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition Toby Appel, viola; and Julia Bruskin, cello;. Performers will also include current YCA artists Bella Hristova, violin; Oliver Neubauer, violin; Chaeyoung Park, piano; Ying Li, piano; Anthony Trionfo, flute; Albert Cano Smit, piano; and Ziggy & Miles, guitar duo. Anne Akiko Meyers also serves as honorary chair for the event, along with Deborah Borda, Executive Advisor to the President and Board of Directors of the New York Philharmonic; and Christopher Wheeldon, Tony Award-winning director and choreographer.

YCA President Daniel Kellogg, successor to YCA Founder Susan Wadsworth, spoke on the opportunity to honor Woetzel: "For 63 years YCA has discovered and invested in young musicians," he says. "Damian exemplifies an inspiring and remarkable commitment to artistic excellence and arts education that resonates deeply with YCA's mission. We are proud to celebrate him as a partner in nurturing the next generation of exceptional young artists."

The YCA Season Finale Concert will follow on Monday, May 20, 2024 in Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall. Artists to be showcased in the finale include current YCA artists Narek Arutyunian, clarinet; Benjamin Baker, violin; Chelsea Guo, soprano and piano; Bella Hristova, violin; Lun Li, violin; Daniel McGrew, tenor; Aristo Sham, piano; and Anthony Trionfo, flute; as well as YCA alumni Julia Bruskin, cello; Chee-Yun, violin; Anthony De Mare, piano; Colin Carr, cello; Paul Huang, violin; Ida Kavafian, violin; and Daniel Phillips, violin. The program includes works by Bach, Brahms, Noel Coward, Andrew Norman and Alastair Coleman, YCA's current Composer in Residence.

Through the winter and spring, YCA artists are also featured in individual and small group performances including New York and Washington D.C. debuts. The season's New York debuts include YCA artist Erin Wagner, mezzo-soprano, performing alongside pianist and creative collaborator Shawn Chang, on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 7:30pm at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center. In their program Everything Must Change, the artists reflect on the need for social change in support of vulnerable people and renewed hope for all. Works by Franz Schubert, Stefania Turkewich and Viktor Ullmann are featured in this program, along with an original composition by Chang. In a second New York debut, Chaeyoung Park, piano, takes the stage at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 7:30pm. In this program, highlighting pieces by Beethoven, Debussy and George Crumb, Park celebrates groundbreaking works that pushed the boundaries of classical music, shaping the evolution of the genre.

Erin Wagner, mezzo-soprano, and Chaeyoung Park, piano, also make their Washington D.C. debuts through YCA this season. Wagner's performance is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 7:30pm at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Reprising themes from her New York debut, with a focus on the need for change, she again performs pieces by Franz Schubert, Stefania Turkewich and Viktor Ullmann - along with popular music selections by Radiohead and Benard Ighner (arranged by pianist Shawn Chang), as well as Randy Newman. Park's Washington D.C. debut is set for Sunday, April 28, 2024 at 2:00pm, also at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. She will reprise her Beethoven, Debussy and Crumb program, highlighting the composers' most innovative works, from her earlier New York debut.

YCA artists are also featured this spring in the Morgan Library Series at the Morgan Library and Museum in Manhattan. The popular noontime recital series streams live on the YCA and Morgan Library Facebook pages, the YCA YouTube Channel and The Violin Channel. On Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 12:00pm, the Morgan Library Series features Daniel McGrew, tenor, in the world premiere of Matthew Ricketts' piece Lunch Poems 2, along with works by Fauré and Robert Schumann. On Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 12:00pm, the library and museum hosts Lun Li, violin, in a wide-ranging program spanning composers from J.S. Bach to Philip Glass, Béla Bartók and Tessa Lark, as well as Henry Eccles, Nicola Matteis and Giovanni Bononcini.

YCA artist performances held earlier this year include appearances by five YCA artists in All Together Now, part of the New York Festival of Song, on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center. In a journey through six centuries of vocal ensembles, from the Renaissance to the present day, YCA vocalists performed a program crossing multiple genres and spanning composers from Mozart to Emmanuel Chabrier, Libby Larsen and The Bobs. Participating YCA artists included tenor Daniel McGrew, mezzo-sopranos Megan Moore and Erin Wagner, bass-baritone Joseph Parrish and soprano/pianist Chelsea Guo. Previous YCA engagements also included a season-opening performance by Harmony Zhu, piano, in Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall on October 23, 2023, followed by Zhu's appearance at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater on November 1, 2023. The Morgan Library Series featured performances by Ying Li, piano, on January 24, 2024, and by the duo of Risa Hokamura, violin, and Albert Cano Smit, piano, with guest appearances by Lun Li, violin, and YCA alumnus Toby Appel, on February 28, 2024. Joseph Parrish, bass-baritone, made his Washington D.C. debut at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater on February 6, 2024, in a performance co-presented with Washington Performing Arts, in coordination with the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts. He performed alongside pianist Damian Sneed, and with the WPA Children of the Gospel Choir.

In addition to showcasing its artists onstage, YCA has launched multiple education and community engagement initiatives to benefit performing artists, students, and communities. In partnership with public/charter schools and community music programs in New York City and Washington D.C., YCA artists craft their own education and community engagement projects, offering an entry point to an art form that provides connection to the broader world and improved social-emotional development. Artist-led projects include pre-concert in-school presentations, mini residencies, masterclasses, and more.

This season, YCA has also partnered with the New York City Department of Education to pilot a year-long program designed for 3rd - 5th grade students in NYC public schools that do not have a music education curriculum. This program brings YCA artists into classrooms and auditoriums, introducing the students to classical music through high-level performance experiences. Programming includes an introduction to classical music, songwriting workshops, basic recorder workshops, and more. Students are invited to participate in a culminating concert at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center on May 13, 2024.

During spring of 2024, YCA also hosts a series of virtual courses under its Career Catalyst program. Designed and led by industry experts, YCA staff, and creative musicians, Career Catalyst program offers resources for a new generation of musicians charting self-managed and self-directed performance careers. Among the contributors are pianist, arts activist, and advocate Lara Downes, along with YCA alumni Anne-Marie McDermott, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Chee Yun, Paul Huang, and Sasha Cooke.

In Branding, Marketing, and PR, YCA presents guidelines for harnessing the internet and social media for impactful self-promotion. Sessions take place Tuesdays, March 12, 19, and April 2, 2024 at 5:00pm Eastern Time. In Artist Taxes 101: Demystifying Taxes for the Independent Musician, presenter Dr. Jeffrey Nytch along with YCA accountant Lisa Nuñez offer an overview on navigating taxes for the independent musician. Sessions are held Fridays March 15, 22 and 29, 2024 at 1:00pm Eastern Time. Nytch and Nuñez return for a fast and basic version of this primer in Artist Taxes 101: Crash Course!, a single-session offering held just before "tax day" on Monday, April 8, 2024 at 6:00pm Eastern Time.

In Optimize Your Performance, performance coach, management consultant, and therapist, Dana Fonteneau, explores paths to best performance practice and career success, informed by multiple industries, where the traditional drive for excellence of craft is complemented by focus on physical wellbeing, mindset, time management, and more. Sessions will be held on Fridays April 5, 12, and 19, 2024 at 1:00pm Eastern Time. In a final single-session course, Working With Donors, YCA President Daniel Kellogg leads a presentation on fostering meaningful connections with patrons who share a passion for music. The course is scheduled for Friday, May 10, 2024 at 1:00pm Eastern Time.

Career Catalyst courses held earlier in the year include Make Your Own Work, a workshop for artists on crafting self-designed projects that match their passion, and Money & Musicians, a 5-part course on personal finance for performing artists.

Young Concert Artists Spring 2024 Season Calendar

February 21, 2024 at 8:00pm

New York Festival of Song: All Together Now
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center | New York, NY
Replay on YCA YouTube: https://youtu.be/UjaLDZtrV50?t=1523

February 28, 2024 at 12:00pm

Morgan Library Series: Risa Hokamura, violin, Albert Cano Smit, piano
Gilder Lehrman Hall, The Morgan Library & Museum | New York, NY
Replay on YCA YouTube: https://youtu.be/u8HCUFioyi8?t=965

March 13, 2024 at 7:30pm

DC Debut: (Everything Must Change) Erin Wagner, mezzo-soprano & Shawn Chang, piano
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater | Washington D.C.
Tickets: $20-$45
Link: https://yca.org/event/wagnerdc/

March 20, 2024 at 12:00pm

Morgan Library Series: Daniel McGrew, tenor, Sophia Zhou, piano, & Nathaniel LaNasa, piano
Gilder Lehrman Hall, The Morgan Library & Museum | New York, NY
Tickets: $20-$25
Link: https://yca.org/event/daniel-mcgrew-encore/

March 21, 2024 at 7:30pm

NY Debut: (Everything Must Change) Erin Wagner, mezzo-soprano & Shawn Chang, piano
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center | New York, NY
Tickets: $20-$45
Link: yca.org/event/wagnerny/

April 16, 2024 at 7:30pm

NY Debut: Chaeyoung Park, piano
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center | New York, NY
Tickets: $20-$45
Link: yca.org/event/parkny/

April 24, 2024 at 12:00pm

Morgan Library Series: Lun Li, violin
Gilder Lehrman Hall, The Morgan Library & Museum | New York, NY
Tickets: $20-$25
Link: yca.org/event/lun-li-encore/

April 28, 2024 at 2:00pm

DC Debut: Chaeyoung Park, piano
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater | Washington D.C.
Tickets: $20-$45
Link: yca.org/event/parkdc/

May 13, 2024

Education & Community Engagement School Concert
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center | New York, NY

May 20, 2024 at 7:30pm

YCA Season Finale
Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall | New York, NY
Link: yca.org/event/23-24-season-finale/

Photo Credit: Bianca Jenkins

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