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Young Concert Artists announces changes to Artist Management Department
Christina Baker promoted to Director of Artist Management, and Michael "Mic" Herring joins YCA as Senior Artist Manager, starting October 25
New York, NY – Young Concert Artists (YCA) announced today two exciting developments in their Artist Management Department: the promotion of Christina Baker to Director of Artist Management, and the new appointment of Michael "Mic" Herring to Senior Artist Manager (starting October 25). They join Emily Whildin (Associate Artist Manager) and Alana Klonoski (Operations Manager).
YCA President Daniel Kellogg:
"We are confident that this new team will be able to offer our artists the most relevant and impactful training, tools, and guidance, and will be able to advocate effectively on their behalf. This team also brings extensive experience and close relationships with presenting organizations and orchestras throughout the field in order to help create and secure opportunities that will propel our artists’ careers forward.
We are incredibly proud of our past achievements and the people who have made YCA what it is, but after having undergone a fundamental change in leadership – the first in our 60-year history – it has become clear to us that we must now focus on building an even brighter future.
Change can be a difficult and painful process, but the fact remains that the road to success for a young artist is very different today than it was when YCA was founded in 1961. Non-profit arts organizations like YCA face a multitude of challenges, many of which have only grown more pronounced over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. And even though our approach must adapt to these new and ever-changing times, our mission remains the same as it ever was: to discover and launch the careers of extraordinary young musicians around the world."
Christina Baker:
"There is no question that the most fulfilling aspect of my work over the years has been in the development of young artists. I am absolutely honored to have finally found a place where I am able to focus my knowledge and experience solely on helping these remarkable talents navigate their paths at such a crucial time in their professional careers. I am truly excited at the opportunity to work with this incredible team."
Mic Herring:
“Nurturing the next generation of classical artists has been a huge passion of mine throughout my professional life. The opportunity to focus all my energy and attention solely on helping young artists is an exceedingly rare opportunity. YCA has long held a very special place in my heart, and it feels like a homecoming to return after having had the opportunity to work with and learn from inspiring commercial artist management agencies like Kirshbaum Associates and Alliance Artist Management. I have admired Christina Baker for many years and I am absolutely thrilled to join her and the rest of the artist management team at YCA in this important work. I have great hope for the future of all YCA artists and look forward to being a part of their incredible journeys.”
About Christina Baker
Driven by her deep love of classical music, Christina Baker considers it a great joy and a personal mission to apply her considerable knowledge and experience to promote and mentor emerging classical artists in navigating their careers. Christina’s expertise in the classical music business is informed by over 20 years of artist management experience. She has been responsible for negotiating and securing engagements for many of the world’s leading orchestras and ensembles, classical soloists and vocalists, dance companies, and other major artists and high-profile attractions. Throughout her career, Christina has built relationships with orchestra management, performing arts centers, and festivals throughout the world.
Trained as a classical flutist, Christina holds an MFA in flute performance from Purchase College, State University of New York. She followed her passion for the performing arts in her work at Columbia Artists Management, Inc. and ICM Artists, providing adept arts administration, strategic booking and relationship building for numerous artists. As President of Baker Artists, LLC from 2013-2017 she built and nurtured a prestigious roster of instrumentalists and ensembles including Javier Perianes, Christina and Michelle Naughton, Vadym Kholodenko, David Krakauer, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Attacca Quartet, and The Westerlies.
Prior to joining Young Concert Artists, Christina most recently held the position of Manager of Artists & Attractions at Opus 3 Artists and signed and advanced the careers of such emerging artists as Blake Pouliot, Steve Hackman, and Oliver Herbert.
About Michael "Mic" Herring
Michael "Mic" Herring re-joins YCA as Senior Artist Manager after a number of years as an artist manager working with and learning from the renowned management teams at firms such as Kirshbaum Associates and Alliance Artist Management. He has been privileged to work with a plethora of inspiring artists and ensembles including The Tallis Scholars, Jordi Savall, and the Spektral Quartet, as well as the American Brass Quintet, the Danish String Quartet, Midori, and the Junction Trio. He has also been lucky enough to work with a number of former YCA artists including mezzo soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano and cellist Zlatomir Fung. ?
In addition to Mic’s work as an artist manager he has also served as the Managing Director of The Dessoff Choirs since 2016. Highlights of his work with Dessoff include a special performance of Mozart’s Requiem, celebrating the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, as well as the release of Dessoff’s third album featuring the first ever recording of Margaret Bond’s The Ballad of the Brown King on the AVIE Records label.?
A graduate of the DePaul University School of Music, Mic holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance. In 2018 he teamed up with violinist Janet Sung to co-found Chamber Music Chicago, a non-profit chamber music concert series in residence at the Holtschneider Performance Center.
Mic has previously held posts with the Marlboro Music as Manager of the Musicians from Marlboro, as well as Young Concert Artists as Operations Manager. He holds a Master of Science in Arts Administration from Drexel University where his research was focused on how non-profit arts organizations can be a catalyst for change within their communities. |
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About Young Concert Artists
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Each year, through a rigorous audition process, Young Concert Artists chooses a new group of exceptional young musicians to add to its roster with the promise of debuts in both New York City and Washington, D.C. followed by at least three years of career management. This includes providing performance opportunities, promotional and marketing services, travel arrangements, educational residency experience, and extensive professional development.
Founded in 1961 by Susan Wadsworth, Young Concert Artists has presented nearly 300 artist debut concerts, has commissioned more than 30 compositions from YCA composers, and has facilitated thousands of residencies through the Annaliese Soros Educational Residency Program. |
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About YCA President Daniel Kellogg
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| Daniel Kellogg steps into the leadership role of Young Concert Artists with the unique perspective of an alumnus of Young Concert Artists, one of the extraordinary musicians whose careers were discovered and launched to prominence by this innovative non-profit organization. Chosen as YCA Composer-in-Residence in 2002, Daniel Kellogg was a member of the Young Concert Artists roster for ten years. His compositions have been premiered by the Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, at the Aspen Music Festival, and by the Takacs Quartet and eighth blackbird. He holds degrees in music composition from the Curtis Institute of Music and the Yale School of Music, and served as the Head of Composition at the University of Colorado, College of Music from 2005 to 2019. He has also served as Composer-in-Residence for the South Dakota Symphony, Green Bay Symphony, and Lexington Philharmonic. |
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