Yamaha Announces 35th Annual Yamaha Young Performing Artists

Young musicians across the country recognized for exceptional skill and artistry in classical, jazz and contemporary music genres

INDIANAPOLIS, March 26, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Yamaha, the world's largest manufacturer of musical instruments and audio solutions, today announced the 11 winners of the 2024 Yamaha Young Performing Artists (YYPA) competition. The competition is designed to acknowledge and reward exceptional young musicians who are studying in the United States and excel in classical, jazz, and contemporary music genres.

"The 2024 Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition Winners are extraordinary!" said John Wittmann, associate vice president of Yamaha Artist Relations Group. "The 11 winners are diverse, versatile, and inspirational, comprising of a unique group of promising young talent. There is no doubt that the entire YYPA Celebration Weekend will culminate in a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience this year. We at Yamaha remain dedicated to music education and enjoy doing all we can to guide young music makers into rewarding careers. The YYPA Program is exciting and deeply fulfilling to us."

Skilled musicians specializing in playing brass, wind, string, percussion, or piano were invited to submit an audio or video audition and supporting materials. A panel of Yamaha Artists, experts, and national celebrity musicians evaluated each submission to identify this year's outstanding winners.

The winners of this year's program will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the YYPA Celebration Weekend from June 22-25, 2024. This occurs during the Music for Alltm Summer Symposium, held at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, from June 22 to June 29, 2024.

The 2024 YYPA Winners:

Andy Hankes ? Flute ? Eastman School of Music
Jeehoon Kim ? Oboe ? Colburn School
Bram Schenck ? Clarinet ? University of Southern California
Isaac Boone ? Saxophone ? Northwestern University
Riko Sasaki ? Saxophone ? Berklee College of Music
Dylan Johnson ? Trumpet ? California State University Long Beach
Nanami Haruta ? Trombone ? Michigan State University
Natalie Colegrove ? Euphonium ? University of Miami, Frost School of Music
Willem Jochems ? Drum Set ? Berklee College of Music
Michael Lee-Smith ? Percussion ? Eastman School of Music
Jiaxi Li ? Piano ? Eastman School of Music

The 2024 YYPA Honorable Mention:

Caterina Manfrin ? Flute ? Temple University
Miles Wazni ? Clarinet ? Bard College Conservatory of Music
Daniel Cohen ? Saxophone ? The Juilliard School
Andrew Kim ? Trombone ? Michigan State University
Anton Kot ? Drum Set ? New York University
Bianca Ciubancan ? Violin ? Northside College Preparatory High School
Felix Kim ? Cello ? Eastman School of Music
Soohyun Lee ? Piano ? Indiana University

The Yamaha Young Performing has been an important platform for Yamaha to Artists program has engage with young and talented musicians. This competition has acknowledged over 300 exceptional musicians, many of whom have gone on to build successful careers as performers and educators. Notable past winners include Carol Jantsch, principal tubist of the Philadelphia Orchestra; Jason Freeze, saxophonist for rock band Green Day; and Markus Osterlund, horn, the National Symphony Orchestra.

The 2024 guest artist for the YYPA Celebration Weekend is Yamaha artist Maria Finkelmeier. Maria is a percussionist, composer, entrepreneur, and professor. Her work as a composer and performer in multisensory performances and art installations transcends genre and medium.

Winners of the program will perform in front of a unique audience at the YYPA Celebration Weekend, receive national press coverage, and participate in workshops designed to launch a professional music career. In addition, the 2024 winners will benefit from services and support provided by Yamaha Artist Relations, including professional audio and video recordings and photography of their live performances. This unique experience promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the winners to establish themselves in the music industry.

To learn more about the Yamaha Young Performing Artists Program and the winners visit, https://yamaha.io/YYPA.

About Yamaha
Yamaha Corporation of America is the largest subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation, the world-leading music and sound company, based in Hamamatsu, Japan. The Yamaha team is committed to helping everyone progress, express and connect through music and sound. We offer innovative, finely crafted, award-winning products for your entire musical journey including pianos, brass instruments, woodwinds, strings, electronic keyboards, guitars, drums, professional and home audio equipment.

Media Contact

Diana Moeck, Yamaha Corporation of America, 3107368676, [email protected], https://usa.yamaha.com/

SOURCE Yamaha Corporation of America