Young Concert Artists Announces 12 Finalists Selected for 2023 Susan Wadsworth Auditions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Katy Salomon | VP, Public Relations | Primo Artists
katy@primoartists.com | 212.837.8466 

YOUNG CONCERT ARTISTS ANNOUNCES 12 FINALISTS IN 
2023 SUSAN WADSWORTH FINAL AUDITIONS 

James Baik, cello; Yang (Jack) Gao, piano; Nikka Gershman, flute; 
Marcel Kits, cello; Oliver Neubauer, violin; Samuel Rosenthal, viola; 
Michael Shaham, violin; Benett Tsai, cello; Claire Wells, violin; 
Michael Yeung, percussion; Ziggy & Miles, guitar duo; Callisto Quartet, string quartet

2023 Susan Wadsworth International Auditions
Nov. 11: Final Audition Livestream, Announcement of YCA Jacobs Fellows
Nov. 12: Winners Concert at The Morgan Library & Museum

“Young Concert Artists has acquired a special status in the musical world, and deservedly so…
It is extremely doubtful that any organization anywhere could have matched the YCA record
for spotting great talent and helping it along.” – The New York Times

www.yca.org 

New York, NY (November 10, 2023)  — Young Concert Artists (YCA) announces the selection of 12 finalists to advance to the finals of the annual Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. Chosen by an esteemed jury following 36 semi-finalist performances yesterday at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, those chosen to advance to the Final Auditions include:

James Baik, cello 
Yang (Jack) Gao, piano
Nikka Gershman, flute
Marcel Kits, cello
Oliver Neubauer, violin
Samuel Rosenthal, viola
Michael Shaham, violin
Benett Tsai, cello
Claire Wells, violin
Michael Yeung, percussion
Ziggy & Miles, guitar duo
Callisto Quartet, string quartet

YCA President Daniel Kellogg says, “We had a particularly strong slate of semi-finalists this year. The 12 finalists have displayed a unique level of talent, energy, and competitiveness - we look forward to what they will bring to their final auditions.”

As the final step in the rigorous audition process, the selected finalists will perform in the Final Auditions tomorrow, Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 10:00am ET at Merkin Hall, available to watch via The Violin Channel, and on the YCA YouTube and Facebook channels. The jury includes distinguished musicians and industry professionals, including Daniel Kellogg, composer and jury chair*; Susan Wadsworth, YCA founder; David Starobin, producer/guitar; Anne-Marie McDermott, piano*; Michael Parloff, flute; Soovin Kim, violin; Dmitry Sitkovetsky, conductor/violin; Tai Murray, violin; Clive Greensmith, cello; Lise de la Salle, piano*; Hanako Yamaguchi, independent producer and arts consultant; and Deborah Borda, arts leader. (*(*YCA Alum)

Winners will be announced tomorrow evening and the new YCA Jacobs Fellows will perform in the 2023 Winners Concert on Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 4:30pm ET at The Morgan Library & Museum in NYC, also available to livestream The Violin Channel, and on the YCA YouTube and Facebook channels.

The YCA Jacobs Fellowship is a three-year program that takes artists to new levels of confidence and creative growth, offering a holistic combination of digital tools, training, mentorship, community engagement, project development, and performance opportunities. The program teaches artists how to develop their own unique musical and artistic voice, encouraging them to expand their personal boundaries so they can continue to move the artform forward into the future.

Artists are added to a stellar roster with the promise of debuts in both New York City and Washington, DC, followed by at least three years of career management. Winners of the annual YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions and bi-annual Composer-in-Residence Search receive performance opportunities, promotional marketing services, travel arrangements, educational residency experience, and extensive professional development. YCA invests in their careers so they may spend a lifetime bringing the gift of music to audiences around the world. 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.

Young Concert Artists also extends warmest thanks to the jury members who served on the preliminary round of auditions: Robert Belinic, guitar; Michael Brown, piano; Colin Carr, cello; Karen Dreyfus, viola; Alan Feinberg, piano; Lois Hicks-Wozniak, saxophone; Matt Howard, percussion; Paul Huang, violin; Ida Kavafian, violin; Daniel Lippel, guitar; Karen Lindquist, harp; Todd Palmer, clarinet; Daniel Panner, viola; Ory Shihor, piano; Alex Sopp, flute; Naoko Takada, marimba; and Golda Tatz, piano.
 

2023 Susan Wadsworth International Auditions 
Final Auditions: Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 10:00am ET
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center | NYC
Streamed live on The Violin Channel, and the YCA YouTube and Facebook channels

Generously sponsored by The Linda and Isaac Stern Charitable Foundation, YCA Washington Board.

Winners Concert: Sunday, November 12 at 4:30pm ET
Gilder Lehrman Hall, The Morgan Library & Museum | NYC
Streamed live on The Violin Channel, and the YCA YouTube and Facebook channels

Presented in partnership with the Morgan Library & Museum. Generously sponsored by Ellen Marcus, YCA Board Member.

About Young Concert Artists
YCA’s artists are the leaders of the future – stars who combine world-class talent with creative vision to bring new reach and relevance to the art form. For more than 60 years YCA has invested in extraordinary young musicians, providing them with the support, clarity, and confidence to tell their stories, as well as with the tools, opportunities, and infrastructure to take their careers to the highest level.

With a legacy of artistic excellence recognized around the world, YCA alumni include such luminaries as Emanuel Ax, Julia Bullock, Jeremy Denk, Ray Chen, Anne-Marie McDermott, Fazil Say, Andrew Norman, Dawn Upshaw, Mason Bates, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Kevin Puts, Pinchas Zukerman, and many more.

YCA continues to build upon our singular legacy by empowering the brilliant young artists of today to acquire the transformational experience and skill they need to lead the future of classical music. Learn more at www.yca.org. 

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