For 65 years, the YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions have helped launch some of classical music’s most celebrated careers, with alumni including Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Dawn Upshaw and Pinchas Zukerman. On Sunday 8 November, some of classical music’s brightest rising talent took part in the final round of auditions for Young Concert Artists (YCA), competing to perform at the Winners Concert at Carnegie Hall on Monday 9 November and become the newest additions to the YCA roster of artists.
This year’s winners were selected from more than 150 emerging musicians from around the world having impressed a distinguished jury through three rounds of auditions, earning a place on one of the industry’s most respected career-development programmes.
This year’s winners are the Dōnum Quartet from Seoul National University: Seungwon Park and Inhae Cho (violins), Ilgyeong Shin (viola) and Hyeonmin Lee (cello). They made their debut at the Seoul Arts Centre and have since performed around the world.
They are joined by Canadian soprano Bridget Esler, currently a young artist at the Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier lyrique, who has already performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra.
Completing the line-up is American pianist Taige Wang, 16, who studies at The Juilliard School with Yoheved Kaplinsky. A young scholar of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, he was named a Young Steinway Artist at 13.
The winners’ achievements represent much more than competition success. Winning a place on the YCA roster is the beginning of a transformative programme designed to help outstanding musicians build sustainable international careers.
For the audience, the Winners Concert is an opportunity to discover exceptional young artists at a pivotal moment, before major debuts, international tours and recording projects propel them onto the global stage.
More than an accolade
Since its founding in 1961 by Susan Wadsworth, YCA has built its reputation on identifying musicians with distinctive artistic voices and the potential to make a lasting contribution to classical music. Recent winners include violinist Randall Goosby and pianist Aristo Sham, winner of the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
For aspiring performers, joining that lineage is a rare opportunity. For audiences, the winners offer a glimpse of classical music’s future.
What happens after winning?
In a crowded field, talent alone is rarely enough to build an international career. Emerging artists also need opportunities, professional guidance and access to influential networks.
With YCA, each winner receives an artist management contract for a minimum of three years, providing strategic career support at a crucial stage of their development. YCA also secures paid concert engagements at leading venues around the world, helping artists reach new audiences and establish themselves on major stages.
The support doesn’t stop there. Winners receive professionally produced recordings and video releases distributed through global streaming platforms, helping them build an international profile. They are also presented in debut recitals in New York City and Washington DC, appearances that have become significant milestones for generations of YCA artists.
Alongside performance opportunities, musicians benefit from ongoing mentorship from YCA leadership and alumni, training in education and community engagement initiatives, and personalised brand development designed to help them navigate the realities of a modern performing career.
Watch tomorrow’s stars today
One of the most exciting aspects of the annual auditions is the chance to follow artists at the very start of what could become significant international careers.
For anyone eager to hear this year’s winners in action, the 2026 Winners Concert provides an ideal introduction. The concert, streamed live for free from Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Room, remains available to watch on demand afterwards.
As YCA prepares for the 2026/27 season, audiences will have many further opportunities to follow both newly selected artists and recent winners. Highlights include performances by 2025 winner Claire Wells at the Phillips Collection and Carnegie Hall, appearances by saxophonist Estel Vivó Casanovas in Washington DC and New York, touring concerts, and the annual YCA Season Finale at Carnegie Hall in May 2027.
Applications for the 2027 Susan Wadsworth International Auditions will also open in January, continuing YCA’s mission to discover and champion the next generation of musicians.
For classical music fans, however, the focus right now is a newly announced group of artists standing on the threshold of their careers. Years from now, some may become the leading performers, educators and creative voices of their generation. Today, audiences have the chance to say they heard them first.
YCA’s 2026 Young Concert Artists Winners Concert, streamed live on Monday 9 November at 7pm EST from Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Room, is available to watch on demand.
