Announcing the WINNERS of the 2021 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions
We are thrilled to announce that four artists were just announced as winners of the 2021 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions.
Winners of the YCA International Auditions represent the future of classical music, and we invest 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.
Warmest thanks to these distinguished musicians who served on the juries of the Preliminary, Semi-Final, and Final Auditions:
Edward Aaron, cello
Martin Beaver, violin
Steve Beck, piano
Benjamin Beilman, violin*
Steven Blier, pianist & vocal coach
Michael Brown, piano
Amy Burton, soprano
Estelle Choi, cello
Krista Bennion Feeney, violin
Brandon Patrick George, flute
Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor
Chu-Fang Huang, piano*
Paul Huang, violin*
Kayo Iwama, pianist & vocal coach
Benedicte Jorurdois, pianist & vocal coach
Ida Kavafian, violin*
Daniel Kellogg, YCA President and jury chair* (non-voting)
Bridget Kibbey, harp
Wolfram Koessel, cello
Jennifer Koh, violin
Cecile Licad, piano
Marya Martin, flute*
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano*
Jorge Mester, conductor
David Alan Miller, conductor
Makoto Nakura, marimba*
Tara Helen O’Connor, flute
Daniel Phillips, violin*
Jeremy Rothman,
Vice President of Artistic Planning, Philadelphia Orchestra
Fred Sherry, cello*
Ory Shihor, piano*
David Shifrin, clarinet
Paul Sperry, tenor
Karen Lindquist Speyer, harp*
Jeffrey Swann, piano*
Naoko Takada, marimba*
Marcus Thompson, viola*
Susan Wadsworth, YCA Founder
Paul Watkins, cello
DaXun Zhang, double bass*
*YCA alumnus/alumna
Get to know the winners
YCA introduces the 4 winners of the 2021 Auditions in an exciting evening of music and conversation. Each artist will perform selections from their winning audition, and engage the audience with a short interview.