Eleven musicians have been named the winners of the 2019 Yamaha Young Performing Artists (YYPA) Competition presented by the band and orchestral division of Yamaha Corporation of America. The YYPA Competition recognizes young musicians studying in the United States who excel in classical, jazz, and contemporary genres. In addition, six individuals were awarded honorable mentions. Winners of the competition demonstrated superior technical skill and artistry on brass, winds, strings, percussion, and piano. The 2019 YYPA winners are: Alejandro Lombo (flute; Curtis Institute of Music); Freya Spence (clarinet; Manhattan School of Music); Bhavani Kotha (oboe; DePaul University); Eric Zheng (saxophone; Northwestern University); Cade Gotthardt (trumpet; California State University, Long Beach); Dave Mosko (trombone; Rutgers University); Connor Rowe (trombone; Colburn School); Samuel Vargas (violin; Columbus State University); Austin Keck (percussion; University of Rochester); Xinzhu Ma (piano; University of Michigan); and Will Kjeer (piano; California Institute of the Arts). Winners will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the YYPA Celebration Weekend June 22-25, which takes place during the Music for All Summer Symposium at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, June 22-29, 2019.
Posted February 19, 2019
