Young Concert Artists

YCA seeks extraordinary artists who show potential for major careers as leading classical musicians, demonstrate technical and artistic mastery, and are ready to actively partner with YCA in their professional development. 

Through YCA’s rigorous annual audition process, three to four artists will be selected as winners of the auditions by the distinguished YCA jury. Winners join the YCA Roster and become recipients of the YCA Jacobs Fellowship. This transformative three-year program offers artist management services with bookings in numerous performance engagements around the globe, debut recitals presented by YCA in New York City and Washington, DC, training in education and community engagement, portfolio assets, and ongoing mentorship by YCA leadership and alumni.

In addition to the three to four winners, the jury will select up to three finalists to receive a Laureate Prize, recognizing exceptional talent and promise. Laureate Prize recipients receive a $5,000 career development grant and an invitation to return to the Semi-Final Round of the Auditions in one of the next three audition cycles, provided they still meet the eligibility requirements.

YCA is thrilled to announce a new Ensemble-in-Residence program. Selected by the YCA jury through the 2025 Auditions, the 2025 Ensemble-in-Residence will join the YCA Roster, collaborate extensively with YCA soloists and composers, and receive debut recitals presented by YCA in New York City and Washington, DC. They will also participate in the YCA Jacobs Fellowship program and receive a holistic combination of resources including artist management services with bookings in numerous performance engagements across the continent, training in education and community engagement, portfolio assets, and ongoing mentorship by YCA leadership and alumni. All ensembles are encouraged to apply. Ensembles must reside in North America for the duration of the residency.

The Final Auditions will be held on November 9, 2025 at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York City. The Finals will be an all day, live streamed event beginning at 10:00am. Jury deliberations will take place at the end of the day. Winners will be announced the following day, on Monday, November 10, 2025, preceding the Winners Concert that evening.