Young Concert Artists Unveils 2025 Winners And First Ensemble-in-Residence

Young Concert Artists has revealed the Winners of the 2025 Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. Based on the final round of live auditions in New York, two artists and YCA’s first-ever Ensemble-in-Residence – a new offering this year – have been selected from a pool of more than 200 applicants as the newest cohort of YCA Jacobs Fellows. Additionally, 3 finalists were selected to receive Laureate Prizes, offering career grants and future YCA opportunities.

The 2025 Winners and YCA Jacobs Fellows are as follows: saxophonist Estel Vivo Casanovas, violinist Claire Wells, and Trio Azura, the first YCA Ensemble-in-Residence.

Laureate prizes were awarded to violinists Christina Nam and Hannah Tam, and Clarinetist Elad Navon. Each Laureate receives a $5,000 career grant and an invitation to return to the Semi-Final Round of a future audition cycle.

YCA President Daniel Kellogg says, “We had an incredibly strong group of finalists this year and heard some remarkable performances. We are thrilled to welcome these magnificent artists, including our first-ever Ensemble-in-Residence, to our roster as the third cohort of YCA Jacobs Fellows, and we look forward to introducing them to the YCA community at the Winners Concert this evening.”

Anchored by YCA President Daniel Kellogg*, the jury for the final round also comprised YCA Founder Susan Wadsworth, pianist Anne-Marie McDermott*, former Opus 3 Artists Senior Vice President Patricia Winter, violinist Chee-Yun*, conductor and flutist Ransom Wilson, cellist Alban Gerhardt*, violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama*, conductor and composer Lucas Richman and the Metropolitan Opera’s Ken Noda, musical advisor for the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. The jury makeup of artists, managers, concert presenters, and conductors reflects YCA’s broad connections across the classical music world, which in turn is one of the key benefits for the young artists accepted into its three-year YCA Jacobs Fellowship.

This year’s Jacobs Fellows and Ensemble-in-Residence will perform selections from their winning audition in a Winners Concert this evening at 7:00pm at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center. Sponsored by Irene Roth and Vicken Poochikian, the Winners Concert will be streamed live on The Violin Channel.

Named for a generous gift from Joan** and Irwin Jacobs, the YCA Jacobs Fellowship offers artists selected through YCA’s famously rigorous audition process a holistic system of support and opportunities, including 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 which includes a photoshoot guided by a top-tier creative director and stylist; a professional video shoot; special projects including video recordings, commissions, and collaborations. The YCA 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. This Fellowship is recognized as the world’s most comprehensive, innovative, and well-resourced incubator for the brightest and most promising young artists, preparing these rising stars to lead the future of classical music.

YCA Jacobs Fellows 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, Sasha Cooke, and 2025 Van Cliburn Winner Aristo Sham.

*YCA alum

**in memoriam