Young Concert Artists Opens Applications for 2025 Susan Wadsworth International Auditions and Prestigious Jacobs Fellowship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Katy Salomon | Primo Artists | VP, Public Relations 
katy@primoartists.com | 646.801.9406 

Young Concert Artists Opens Applications for
2025 Susan Wadsworth International Auditions and Prestigious Jacobs Fellowship

YCA to Select 3-4 New Artists for YCA Jacobs Fellowship and Up to 3
 Additional Finalists Receiving Laureate Prizes and Invitations to Return

Plus, First YCA Ensemble-in-Residence

Jacobs Fellowship Provides Unmatched Holistic Package
of Resources for Outstanding Early-Career Artists

Final Auditions at Merkin Hall in NYC | Sunday, November 9, 2025

View the Auditions Guidelines and Apply Here

“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 (February 13, 2025) – Applications open today for the Young Concert Artists 2025 Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, the rigorous annual selection process for superior early-career artists to receive the YCA Jacobs Fellowship. This transformative three-year program offers artist management services with bookings in performance engagements around the globe, debut recitals presented by YCA in New York City and Washington D.C., training in education and community engagement, portfolio assets, and ongoing mentorship by YCA leadership and alumni. To enter the auditions process, visit yca.org/auditions.

Several new guidelines and opportunities have been introduced for the 2025 auditions. A jury of world-class musicians and esteemed classical music industry leaders will select three to four artists to join the YCA roster and receive the YCA Jacobs Fellowship – along with up to three additional finalists receiving Laureate Prizes to recognize exceptional talent and promise. Laureate Prize recipients receive a $5,000 artist development grant and an invitation to return to the Semi-Final Round of auditions in one of the next three audition cycles, provided they still meet the eligibility requirements.

"It is not uncommon that, when the jury deliberations come to a close, it’s clear that one or two artists who were not selected as winners exhibited masterful performances and wonderful potential,” said YCA President Daniel Kellogg. “We created the Laureate Prize because we believe those artists deserve recognition, tangible support, and encouragement that we want to hear them again in the YCA auditions.” 

In another new offering this year, YCA introduces its Ensemble-in-Residence program. Through the 2025 Auditions, one ensemble will be selected to join the YCA Roster as 2025 Ensemble-in-Residence, collaborating extensively with YCA soloists and composers and performing debut recitals presented by YCA in New York City and Washington D.C. The Ensemble-in-Residence will also receive the YCA Jacobs Fellowship, with its complete package of resources for rising artists. All ensembles are encouraged to apply; ensembles must reside in North America for the duration of the residency.

Kellogg said, “We are thrilled to launch an Ensemble-in-Residence position, with plans for exciting collaborations and special projects with other members of the YCA roster. This is a great moment for YCA to deepen our support for outstanding young ensembles, and we look forward to welcoming a brilliant ensemble to the roster in November!”

All artists selected to the YCA Jacobs Fellowship receive a holistic suite of resources including artist management services with bookings in numerous performance engagements with leading presenters across the globe; debut recitals in New York City and Washington D.C.; ongoing mentorship by YCA leadership and alumni; training in education and community engagement projects; individual brand development including a photoshoot guided by a top-tier creative director and stylist; a professional video shoot; and special projects including video recordings, commissions and collaborations. The Jacobs Fellowship kicks off with the 21st Century Artist Incubator, a 14-month intensive artist training program that guides artists through developing a toolkit including engagement best practices, social media and website review and development, and more.

YCA’s Final Auditions will be held on November 9, 2025 at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York City, in an all-day, live-streamed event beginning at 10:00am. Jury deliberations will take place at the end of the day, with winners to be announced the following day: Monday, November 10, 2025. A Winners Concert will be held that evening.

Named for a generous gift from Joan* and Irwin Jacobs, the YCA Jacobs Fellowship is recognized as the world’s most comprehensive, innovative, and well-resourced incubator for top-tier young artists, preparing these rising stars to lead the future of classical music. YCA Jacobs Fellowship recipients 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.

*in memoriam

YOUNG CONCERT ARTISTS 2025 SUSAN WADSWORTH INTERNATIONAL AUDITIONS
Early Deadline: Monday, June 2, 2025 ($65 fee)
Final Deadline: Monday, August 4, 2025 ($95 fee)

Preliminary Round (NY, LA): September 8, 2025 (Winds & Brass), September 11-12, 2025 (Voice), September 16, 17, and 18, 2025 (Strings), September 21, 2025 (Los Angeles Prelims at The Colburn School), September 25-26, 2025 (Piano).

Semi-Final Round (NY): November 5-7, 2025
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center | New York, NY

Final Round: Sunday, November 9, 2025
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center | New York, NY

Winners Concert: November 10, 2025
New York, NY (Venue TBD)

Link: yca.org/auditions-guidelines/ 

About Young Concert Artists
For more than 60 years YCA has stood at the forefront of discovering and launching the careers of the future leaders of classical music – stars who combine world-class talent with creative vision to bring new reach and relevance to the art form. YCA invests in its artists by 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, 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, and many more.

Named for YCA’s Founder, the annual YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions are a rigorous process that calls on the most extraordinary young musicians from around the globe to join the YCA Jacobs Fellowship program. This transformative three-year program takes artists to new levels of creative growth, offering a holistic combination of resources including artist management services, digital tools, mentorship, project development, training in education and community engagement, and performance opportunities at top venues around the globe. With debut recitals presented in New York and Washington, DC, YCA artists establish their individual artistry for industry leaders and media, opening doors and fostering key relationships that fundamentally change the trajectory of their careers.

YCA believes that modern musicians are more than gifted, highly-trained musicians – they are cultural ambassadors who must be well-equipped to communicate the vitality of the art form to the widest possible audience. Learn more at www.yca.org. 

*Photo Credit: Bianca Jenkins

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