Photo Credit: Dave ClementsEvents
Young Texas Artists announces 2024 Music Competition Winners
Arts nonprofit Young Texas Artists (YTA) presented another brilliantly orchestrated evening of down-home Texana and high-toned concert classics at its benefit gala, Bach, Beethoven & Barbecue, on March 9. The three-part celebration included a dinner with dancing and a live auction, the Young Texas Artists Music Competition Finalists’ Concert & Awards presentation featuring exquisite performances by rising classical music stars, and an after-party with a live Texas band, desserts and champagne toasts to the winners.
“The night was filled with so many memorable moments,” said Susie Moore Pokorski, YTA President/CEO. “I loved seeing the creative approach guests took to our “jeans to jewels” dress code, from cowboy boots and hats to all-out Texas bling. It was wonderful to see people enjoying the music and food, laughing, and most of all, coming together to support emerging classical musicians.
“And then, when our competition finalists performed, they just awed the audience,” Pokorski added. “There’s something so moving about seeing the next generation of top classical talent take their place under the spotlight and show what they can do.”
The three-day Young Texas Artists Music Competition, under the leadership of Artistic Director Dr. Emelyne Bingham, saw a record 96 applicants, and 70 musicians qualified to compete in the preliminary rounds. Contestants vied for a share of $40,000 in monetary prizes along with career mentoring and performance opportunities. The artists, ages 18-30 (20-32 in the Voice Division) are Texas residents or affiliated with a Texas music school. They competed in one of four performance divisions: Piano; Strings; Voice; and Winds, Brass, Percussion; Harp and Guitar.
The March 9 finalists’ concert took place at the historic and acoustically acclaimed Crighton Theatre in the Downtown Conroe Cultural District. The program featured a statewide and international lineup of artists.
YTA’s 2024 Grand Prize winner was Daeun Han, a pianist from South Korea who has a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas and an Artist Diploma from Indiana University. Han also was named YTA’s Gold Medalist in Piano for her performance of “Totentanz, S. 126” by Franz Liszt. She won a total of $10,000.
Additional Gold Medal winners were cellist Maximus Gurath, Strings Division, an undergraduate student at Rice University; saxophonist Rachel Jimenez, Winds, Brass, Percussion, Harp and Guitar Division, an undergraduate at Sam Houston State University; and soprano Krista Renée Pape, Voice Division, who has a Master of Music degree from University of Houston.
The Gold Medalists received $5,000 each, and Jimenez, also the Audience Choice Award winner, received an additional $3,000.
Silver Medals went to Xin Cui, Piano Division, who has a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas; cellist Claire Druffner, Strings Division, an undergraduate at Rice University; mezzo-soprano Joanne Evans, Voice Division, who has a master’s degree from Bard College Conservatory of Art; and tuba player Roberto Gaitan, Winds, Brass, Percussion, Harp and Guitar Division, an undergraduate at Sam Houston State University.
The Silver Medalists received $3,000 each.
YTA honored two long-time volunteers during its March 9 events.
Joyce Musselman, YTA’s 2024 Honorary Gala Chair, received the YTA Inspiring Excellence Award during the Finalists’ Concert & Awards program. And Lyn Howard, who leads the live auction at Bach, Beethoven & Barbecue each year, received a special plaque during the gala.
The Bach, Beethoven & Barbecue gala raises money for the nonprofit’s annual music competition and career development program.
Major donors in 2024 included Dr. Douglas and Carol Aycock; the City of Conroe, VisitConroe.org; Nancy Dossey; Carol Fletcher; Annette and Ken Hallock; Lynda and Dan Kain; Ron and Myra Liston; Texas Commission on the Arts; UBS Financial Services, and Sue and Joe Warren, along with three anonymous donors.
About Young Texas Artists:
Young Texas Artists, founded in 1983, is a one-of-a-kind nonprofit presenter of music competitions and events, career development programs and cultural enrichment outreach. The nationally acclaimed Young Texas Artists Music Competition and the YTA Career Development Program provide professional guidance, mentoring and highly sought performance experience. An Official Music Competition of the State of Texas, it is one of the few competitions in the nation with four performance divisions: Voice; Piano; Strings; and Winds, Brass, Percussion, Harp and Guitar. The YTA contest is open to classical artists, ages 18-30 (20-32 for Voice), who are Texas residents or attend a Texas music school. Over the years, Young Texas Artists has helped produce many distinguished professionals who have gone on to join orchestras, opera companies, universities and music schools around the world. Learn more at youngtexasartists.org.
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