Young Artists on the move: announcements from YCAT, Northern Aldborough Festival's Vocal Competition, VOICEBOX and BBC Radio and Music's Open Music scheme

YCAT young artists 2023

The Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) has announced the latest group of artists to join its roster, whilst the Northern Aldborough Festival has revealed the semi-finalists in its forthcoming vocal competition. A brand-new initiative, VOICEBOX, has announced the names of the singers who will make up its inaugural cohort, and BBC Radio and Music launched the second edition of the Open Music training scheme, 

YCAT has selected all six finalists at its recent round of auditions at Wigmore Hall (on 2 June 2023) to join its roster. The young artists are Ignas Maknickas (piano), Charlotte Spruit (violin), Will Duerden (double bass), Trio Chagall (piano trio), Hana Chang (violin), Atenea Quartet (string quartet). In addition to performance opportunities, the young artists will receive professional publicity materials and digital support to enhance their online presence, ensuring maximum exposure for their exceptional talents to cement their path to becoming full-time performing musicians.

Also announced was the next YCAT-Music Masters Robey Artist - Cellist, Sterling Elliott - further cementing YCAT’s collaboration with Music Masters and their commitment to celebrate and champion underrepresented voices in the industry. Full details from the YCAT website.

The Yorkshire-based Northern Aldborough Festival's Vocal Competition runs from 20 to 21 June 2023 and the semi-finalists for the competition, where winners receive a cash prize plus opportunities to perform at festivals including Leeds Lieder, Newbury Spring Festival, Ryedale Festival, Music@Malling, as well as the Northern Aldborough Festival itself, are Mezzo-soprano Aileen Baker and pianist Daniel Silcock, mezzo-soprano Rachel Barnard and Beth Haughan, soprano Alexandra Beason and Yupeng He, baritone Jack Holton and Max Bilbe, soprano Betty Makharinsky and Vladyslav Kuznetsov, soprano Georgie Malcolm and Edward Campbell-Rowntree, mezzo-soprano Camilla Seale and Evi Wang, mezzo-soprano Lea Shaw and Kristina Yorgova. Full details from the festival website.

VOICEBOX is a new initiative, the first programme of its kind in the UK, offering a bespoke curriculum for advanced singers specialising in contemporary vocal performance. Designed and led by soprano Juliet Fraser, this fully funded programme is separated into four intensive residency periods, hosted by partner organisations around the UK, Britten Pears Arts, Suffolk, City, University of London , Sound Festival, Aberdeen and Dartington Music Summer School & Festival, Devon.

This year’s cohort are Patricia Auchterlonie, Hester Dart, Tara Lily Klein, Oskar McCarthy, Sarah Parkin, and Pascal Zurek. On the review panel this year were Juliet Fraser, Sara Mohr-Pietsch and Nwando Ebizie. Full details from Juliet Fraser's website.

VOICEBOX's first cohort: Hester Dart, Pascal Zurek, Tara Lily Klein,  Oskar McCarthy, Sarah Parkin and Patricia Auchterlonie

BBC Radio and Music launched the second edition of the Open Music training scheme, with a call out for applications from creatives and musicians across the UK. The first edition of Open Music ended in October 2022 and the former trainees have gone on to take up opportunities at the BBC and beyond, in the fields of radio production, presenting, communications and sound engineering. The participants were mentored by BBC radio presenters Mary Anne Hobbs, Linton Stephens, and Katie Derham – amongst others –  and by staff across BBC Radio and Music, from Radio 3 to BBC Introducing,  Radio 1Xtra to the BBC Concert Orchestra. Full details from the BBC website.