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.