Established in 1961, Young Concert Artists’ (YCA) Susan Wadsworth International Auditions welcomes a new group of artists each year for a chance to join the YCA roster. Winners receive a minimum three-year management contract, high-profile debuts, plus national and international recital and orchestra performance opportunities.
The auditions differ from a competition, as there are no rankings, and each candidate competes against a standard of excellence, not each other.
After a preliminary round of live auditions in New York and Los Angeles, plus virtual auditions via video submission, 38 artists were selected from a pool of more than 150 applicants to advance to the semi-final round.
This year’s 38 semi-finalists will travel to New York for the two remaining rounds of auditions, performing for the chance to join the YCA Roster either as soloists, ensembles, or as YCA’s Ensemble-in-Residence.
- Gwenyth Aggeler, guitar
- Sameer Agrawal, violin
- Sophia Baete, mezzo-soprano
- Kerrigan Bigelow, soprano
- Blitz Quartet, saxophone quartet
- Andrew Byun, cello
- Candide Quartet, string quartet
- Zach Cheong, piano
- Jessie Chiang, percussion
- John Dawson, percussion
- Gabrielle Després, violin
- Dōnum Quartet, string quartet
- Nadja Dornik, harp
- Bridget Esler, soprano
- Yang (Jack) Gao, piano
- Wei Cherry Ge, piano
- Samuel Glicklich, piano
- Integra Quartet, string quartet
- Yeyeong Jin, violin
- Yeeun Kang, cello
- Haddon Kay, cello
- Gaeun Kim, cello
- SoHyun Ko, violin
- Masha Lakisova, violin
- Julia-Hyunji Lee, cello
- Katie Liu, viola
- Tianyou Ma, violin
- Olivia Marckx, cello
- Rafael Mendez, flute
- Jonah Murphy, flute
- Christina Nam, violin
- Anoush Pogossian, clarinet
- Omer Itzhak Posti, oboe
- Taige Wang, piano
- Patrick Wilhelm, baritone
- Jialin Yao, piano
- Pengxi Zhu, viola
- Emad Zolfaghari, viola
Anchored by YCA President Daniel Kellogg, the jury for the semi-final and final rounds also comprises YCA Founder Susan Wadsworth, pianist Inon Barnatan, clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein, San Diego Symphony President and CEO Martha Gilmer, conductor Jane Glover, mezzo-soprano and Denyce Graves Foundation Founder Denyce Graves, violist Hsin-Yun Huang, violinist Nicholas Kitchen, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Associate Director for Classical Programming Erin Norton, and cellist Paul Watkins.
The final round will be held on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at Merkin Hall, which are free and open to the public. The jury will also select up to three Laureates, who will receive $5,000 in career development grants and an invitation to compete in the semi-final round of future audition cycles.
Winners and Laureate prizes will be announced on Monday, November 9, 2026, followed by a Winners Concert at 7:00 p.m. that evening at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Room.
“Each year, the world’s most promising young musicians come to us through our rigorous auditions, and in turn, we help launch their careers in transformative ways, ” says YCA President Daniel Kellogg, himself a former YCA Composer-in-Residence in 2002. “The YCA audition process is as prestigious as any of the world’s top music competitions, while representing a broader spectrum of instrumentalists, vocalists, and chamber ensembles. We reflect the future of classical music, which carries a deep commitment to prepare these musicians for long and distinguished careers.
The winners will participate in the three-year YCA Fellowship, which includes comprehensive artist management, performance opportunities at top venues around the globe, and YCA-presented debut recitals in New York City and Washington, DC, as well as ongoing mentorship by YCA leadership and alumni; training in education and community engagement projects; individual brand development including a photoshoot guided by a creative director and stylist; a professional video shoot; special projects including video recordings, commissions, and collaborations.
Previous YCA alumni include Pinchas Zukerman, Ida Kavafian, Anne Akiko Meyers, Emanuel Ax, and Murray Perahia, and VC Artists Paul Huang, Ray Chen, Stephen Warts, Zlatomir Fung, Xavier Foley, and SooBeen Lee.
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