Tickets On Sale for Young Concert Artists Fall 2025 Recital Series

As Part of the YCA Jacobs Fellowship, Early-Career Artists are 
Presented in New York and Washington, D.C. Debuts 

Carnegie Hall Presents YCA Opening Night Concert – October 21

Debut Recitals by James Baik, cello;
Kiron Atom Tellian, piano; and Radu Ratoi, accordion

New YCA Jacobs Fellows, Including Inaugural YCA Ensemble-in-Residence,
to be Selected in Annual Audition Finals – November 9, 2025 in New York City

YCA on Tour Visits 13 Cities Nationwide, Marks Third Season  

“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 (September 11, 2025) – Renowned for identifying and investing in musicians of “exceptional caliber” (The New York Times), Young Concert Artists begins its fall 2025 schedule on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at 7:00pm, as cellist James Baik makes his Washington, D.C. debut at The Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. In a program celebrating the cello sonata form across musical eras, Baik performs works by Boccherini, Debussy, Britten, and Mendelssohn.

Later in the fall, YCA artists perform New York and Washington, D.C. debuts starting with YCA’s Opening Night concert featuring Austrian pianist Kiron Atom Tellian, presented by Carnegie Hall in Zankel Hall on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 7:30pm. Tellian’s program brings together Études by Chopin, Scriabin, and Robert Schumann, along with Scriabin’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp minor. 

Moldovan accordionist Radu Ratoi, only the second accordion artist ever to be featured on the YCA roster, follows with his Washington, D.C. debut at The Kennedy Center Terrace Theater on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at 7:00pm. Joined by special guest and fellow YCA artist, violinist Lun Li, Ratoi showcases the accordion’s technical and expressive range through works from the Baroque through the contemporary, including selections from Rameau, J.S. Bach, Liszt, Schubert, Per Nørgård, Saint-Saëns, and Stravinsky, as well as a world premiere by YCA Composer-in-Residence Hannah Ishizaki. On Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 7:00pm, Ratoi reprises the program in his New York City debut at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, which will be streamed live at theviolinchannel.com.

YCA’s chamber music touring initiative YCA on Tour marks its third season in 2025-2026 with 13 dates nationwide, broadening the scope of the chamber music scene through unique programming and instrumentation. The season features works by José Elizondo and Ernst von Dohnányi paired with Schubert's String Quintet in C Major, D. 956, widely celebrated as one of the most beautiful and profound works in the chamber music repertoire, performed by YCA artists, violinists Risa Hokamura and Oliver Neubauer, cellists James Baik and Benett Tsai, alongside renowned violist and YCA alum Toby Appel. 

This season, YCA on Tour appears at Salk Science and Music Series in San Diego, CA (October 12, 2025); Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY (October 15-16, 2025) Colgate University in Hamilton, NY (October 18, 2025); Chamber Music Lehigh Valley in Bethlehem, PA (October 19-20, 2025); The Artist Series in Sarasota, FL (December 8-9, 2025); The Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, FL (December 10-11, 2025); Sanibel Island Big Arts in Sanibel, FL (January 22, 2026); Northeast Kingdom Classical Series in St. Johnsbury, VT (January 25, 2026); Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, AL (January 28-30, 2026); Mobile Chamber Music in Mobile, AL (February 1-2, 2026); Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York, NY (February 5, 2026); Calgary Pro Musica in Calgary, AB, Canada (February 7, 2026); and Kennedy Center Terrace Theater in Washington, D.C. (April 26, 2026). As part of YCA's Education & Community Engagement initiatives, the ensemble will participate in master classes and workshops in 6 of the 13 tour stops. These activities are part of an artistic collaboration between YCA and the presenting organizations that aims to foster creativity and curiosity while inspiring students and admirers of all ages.

This fall, YCA also selects its next cohort of YCA Jacobs Fellows in the final round of the Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, beginning at 10:00am on Sunday, November 9, 2025 at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York. The 2025 Winners, including the first YCA Ensemble-in-Residence, will be announced the following day, Monday, November 10, 2025, and will perform in a Winners Concert at 7:00pm at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center that evening. The Finals and the Winners Concert will be streamed live at theviolinchannel.com. 

Through this year’s auditions, YCA will also award its first-ever Laureate Prizes, also to be announced on Monday, November 10, 2025. While not selected to take part in the YCA Jacobs Fellowship this year, YCA Laureates will receive $5,000 in career development grants and an invitation to compete in the semi-final round of future audition cycles.

Selected through YCA’s famously rigorous audition process, honed over 65 years, YCA Jacobs Fellows benefit from a holistic system of support and opportunities, including comprehensive artist management, mentorship, training, 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. 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 of each YCA artist, resulting in busier concert calendars, higher-profile debuts, and greater industry attention.

Young Concert Artists 2025-2026 Season Calendar

Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at 7:00pm
Washington, D.C. Debut – James Baik, cello
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater | Washington, D.C.
Link: www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/classical-music/2025-2026/yca-baik/

Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 7:30pm
Opening Night: NY Debut – Kiron Atom Tellian, piano
Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall | New York, NY
Link: www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2025/10/21/Kiron-Atom-Tellian-Piano-0730PM

Sunday, November 9, 2025 | All day starting at 10:00am
2025 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions – Final Round
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center | New York, NY
Link: yca.org/event/2025-final-auditions/

Monday, November 10, 2025 at 7:00pm
2025 YCA Winners Concert
Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center | New York, NY
Link: yca.org/event/2025-winners-concert/
Streamed live on The Violin Channel

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at 7:00pm
Washington, D.C. Debut – Radu Ratoi, accordion; Special Guest: Lun Li, violin
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater | Washington, D.C.
Link: www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/classical-music/2025-2026/yca-ratoi/

Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 7:00pm
New York Debut – Radu Ratoi, accordion; Special Guest: Lun Li, violin
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center | New York, NY
Link: tickets.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/6127/6128

Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 7:00pm
YCA on Tour
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center | New York, NY
Link: yca.org/tickets

Risa Hokamura, violin
Oliver Neubauer, violin 
James Baik, cello
Benett Tsai, cello
Toby Appel, viola

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 12:00pm
Encore Series: Michael Yeung, percussion; Oliver Neubauer, violin
Gilder Lehrman Hall, The Morgan Library & Museum | New York, NY
Link: yca.org/tickets

Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 7:00pm
Washington, D.C. Debut – Kiron Atom Tellian, piano
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater | Washington, D.C.
Link: yca.org/tickets

Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 12:00pm
Encore Series: Ziggy & Miles, guitar duo
Gilder Lehrman Hall, The Morgan Library & Museum | New York, NY
Link: yca.org/tickets

Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 7:00pm
New York Debut – James Baik, cello
Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center | New York, NY
Link: yca.org/tickets

Sunday, April 26, 2026 at 2:00pm
YCA on Tour
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater | Washington, D.C.
Link: yca.org/tickets

Risa Hokamura, violin
Oliver Neubauer, violin 
James Baik, cello
Benett Tsai, cello
Toby Appel, viola

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 7:30pm
Season Finale Concert
Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall | New York, NY
Link: yca.org/tickets

Todd Palmer, clarinet
Anthony Trionfo, flute
Gwyneth Wentink, harp
Benjamin Beilman, violin
Risa Hokamura, violin
Hsin-Yun Huang, viola 
James Baik, cello
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
Ying Li, piano
Ani Kavafian, violin
Marcus Thompson, viola 
Toby Appel, viola
Daniel Phillips, violin
Radu Ratoi, accordion

About Young Concert Artists
For 65 years, Young Concert Artists has stood at the forefront of discovering and launching the careers of the future leaders of classical music. Founded by Susan Wadsworth in 1961, YCA has invested in its artists by providing them with the tools, opportunities, and infrastructure to take their careers to the highest level. YCA believes that successful modern musicians are more than gifted and highly-trained – they are cultural ambassadors who are well-equipped to bring new reach and relevance to the art form and inspire the widest possible audience.

The annual YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions draw the most exceptional young musicians from around the world for the chance to join the YCA roster and receive the YCA Jacobs Fellowship. This transformative three-year program propels musicians to new levels of artistic growth, offering a holistic combination of resources including comprehensive artist management, performance opportunities at top venues around the globe, and YCA-presented debut recitals in New York City and Washington, D.C. YCA connects its artists to a far-reaching network, opening doors and fostering key relationships that fundamentally change the trajectory of their careers.

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, Zlatomir Fung, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Kevin Puts, Pinchas Zukerman, Randall Goosby, Sasha Cooke, and many more.

*Photo Credit: Chris Lee

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