American Young Artists Association

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American Young Artists Association The American Young Artists Association (AYA) is a nonprofit community built to connect and support the next generation of creative voices.

AYA is proud to introduce composer Yuchan Li, whose music draws inspiration from art, philosophy, and emotion.Yuchan has...
10/02/2026

AYA is proud to introduce composer Yuchan Li, whose music draws inspiration from art, philosophy, and emotion.

Yuchan has studied composition at The Juilliard School with David Serkin Ludwig and Melinda Wagner. She previously studied composition with Niccolo Athens and piano with Xiaohan Wang at Tianjin Juilliard’s Pre-College, where she was the Class of 2022 valedictorian.

Her works have been performed across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Her collaborators include Sun He, soprano Marisa Karchin, Tianxu An, American Modern Ensemble, FortVio Piano Trio, Tianjin Juilliard Pre-College Wind Ensemble, Brevard Music Center Orchestra, Mostly Modern Orchestra, Juilliard Summer Choir, and The Juilliard Orchestra.

Her piano trio Four Noble Characters won Third Prize at the 2nd International Eduardas Balsys Young Composers Competition. She received a 2025 American Guild of Organists Student Commissioning Project grant, and her work Transcendence for viola and organ was selected for the 2024 American String Teachers Association New Music Reading Session. In 2025, she served as a resident composer at the International Wind Ensemble Academy & Festival, where her work Jubilee Reunion for wind ensemble was performed.

Her training also includes New York New Music Intensive, Mostly Modern Festival, European American Musical Alliance, Brevard Music Center, and Boston University Tanglewood Institute.

Beyond composition, Yuchan has served as an Ear Training and Music Theory Teaching Fellow at Juilliard and held student leadership roles. Through the Morse and Gluck fellowships, she has contributed to music education and brought piano performances to community settings across New York.

Composer Richard Danielpour has recognized her curiosity, generosity, and compassion, qualities reflected in her commitment to collaboration and communication through music.

AYA looks forward to sharing Yuchan’s music and artistic perspective with our community.

AYA is proud to introduce soprano Erin Wagner, praised by Opera News for her “versatility and musical curiosity.”Her 202...
10/01/2026

AYA is proud to introduce soprano Erin Wagner, praised by Opera News for her “versatility and musical curiosity.”
Her 2026–27 season includes the Britten Pears Festival Academy, a return to The Metropolitan Opera as Second Lady in Medea, and an Orchestra of St. Luke’s debut in an all-Mozart program. She also performs Mahler’s Third Symphony with Des Moines Symphony, Mahler’s Second with Bangor Symphony, and Beethoven’s Ninth at Rockport Music Festival, alongside recitals across the United States.
Previously a mezzo-soprano, Erin is an alumna of Houston Grand Opera’s Butler Studio and a former Wolf Trap Opera Filene Artist, with roles including Dorabella, Blanche de la Force, and Mercédès. Her 2025–26 highlights include Hansel in Houston Grand Opera’s “Family Day” production of Hansel & Gretel, Messiaen’s Harawi with Brooklyn Art Song Society, Haydn’s Arianna a Naxos and David Ashley White’s The Peace of Wild Things with Ars Lyrica Houston, Beethoven’s Ninth with Anchorage Symphony, and Mozart and Gregory Spears’ Requiem Reimagined with New York Choral Society.
Her 2024–25 debuts included The Metropolitan Opera in Die Frau ohne Schatten, Louisville Orchestra in Der Kaiser von Atlantis, Maryland Symphony, and Brazos Valley Symphony.
Her honors include wins at the Gerda Lissner Foundation Lieder Competition, Opera Index Competition, George & Nora London Foundation Competition, Young Concert Artists International Auditions, Schwabacher Recital Debut Competition, and Naumburg Foundation Vocal Competition, alongside the Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation.
Committed to music reflecting modern and diverse perspectives, Erin has appeared in recital at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, San Francisco Opera, The Morgan Library, and The Kaufman Center, and with the New York Festival of Song.
A graduate of The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music, she is also an alumna of the Renée Fleming Artist Fellowship at Aspen Music Festival and the Merola Opera Program.
AYA is honored to celebrate Erin’s artistry and the musical curiosity she brings to the stage.

From the orchestral stage to the intimacy of chamber music, trombonist Kimberly Nelson’s musical journey has taken her a...
09/10/2026

From the orchestral stage to the intimacy of chamber music, trombonist Kimberly Nelson’s musical journey has taken her across the United States and Europe. A graduate of The Juilliard School, where she studied with Joseph Alessi as a Kovner Fellow, Kimberly is now a trombone fellow with the New World Symphony. Kimmy Nelson

Her performances have brought her to Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Konzerthaus Berlin, and the BBC Proms under Esa-Pekka Salonen. Alongside guest appearances with the New Jersey Symphony and Richmond Symphony, she performed with the Metropolis Brass Quintet for the ensemble’s Carnegie Hall debut in June 2026.

A two-time finalist in the International Trombone Association’s Robert Marsteller Competition, Kimberly’s work extends beyond performance. Through Juilliard’s Morse Teaching Artist and Gluck Community Service fellowships, she has shared music with audiences beyond the concert hall—a commitment to connection that remains an important part of her artistic life.

We are delighted to welcome Kimberly to the American Young Artists Association and look forward to the music and collaborations ahead.

AYA is proud to spotlight pianist and composer Taige Wang, a 15-year-old YoungArts Winner with Distinction, Lang Lang In...
06/27/2026

AYA is proud to spotlight pianist and composer Taige Wang, a 15-year-old YoungArts Winner with Distinction, Lang Lang International Music Foundation Young Scholar, Skillman Records artist, and Steinway Young Artist.

A student at The Juilliard School under Veda Kaplinsky, Taige has already earned recognition at major international competitions, including the Seattle International Piano Competition, Yamaha Piano E Competition, Chicago International Music Competition, and the Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Piano Competition. At just 13, he became the youngest competitor to reach the quarterfinals of the Cliburn Junior Competition and won third prize at the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Piano Competition.

Beyond the competition stage, Taige has performed with leading orchestras, appeared on From the Top, and been featured by NPR, CBS, Medici.tv, and international television networks. His performances have taken him to prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Severance Hall, and the Royal Palace of Gödöllő.

As a composer, Taige continues to expand his artistic voice through original works, commissions, and collaborations. His recent work with the Lang Lang International Music Foundation included creating signature six-hand piano arrangements for the Foundation’s New York Gala, receiving high praise from Lang Lang, the gala audience, and Foundation leadership.

At only 15, Taige represents the next generation of artists who are not only performing at the highest level, but also creating, collaborating, and shaping the future of classical music.

✨ AYA is honored to celebrate his artistry, vision, and extraordinary achievements.

AYA is honored to welcome acclaimed young composer Jacky Jiaqi Liu to our artistic community.A multi award winning comp...
06/02/2026

AYA is honored to welcome acclaimed young composer Jacky Jiaqi Liu to our artistic community.

A multi award winning composer based in New York City, Jacky’s music is recognized for its poetic depth, emotional intensity, and profound sense of humanity. His works have been performed internationally across the United States, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and China, with premieres at some of New York’s most prestigious venues including Lincoln Center and the National Opera Center.

As a recipient of the Frederick Loewe Scholarship at The Juilliard School, Jacky studied composition under Pulitzer Prize winning composer Melinda Wagner and will continue his graduate studies with legendary composer John Corigliano. His remarkable achievements include the 2026 BMI John Adams Award, multiple ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, and the Arthur Friedman Prize from the Juilliard Orchestra Competition.

Through music inspired by philosophy, literature, compassion, and human connection, Jacky continues to shape a unique artistic voice that resonates deeply with audiences around the world.

We are excited to have him join AYA and look forward to the inspiring artistry and creative vision he brings to our platform.

We are proud to introduce Alissa Goretsky, a soprano recognized for her dynamic stage presence and rapidly rising caree...
04/03/2026

We are proud to introduce Alissa Goretsky, a soprano recognized for her dynamic stage presence and rapidly rising career in opera.

She is currently a Butler Studio artist at Houston Grand Opera, where she continues to perform a range of roles across the company’s mainstage and studio productions.

A National Winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, Alissa has also been recognized as a prize winner in the Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias.

Her recent engagements include appearances with Houston Grand Opera and Santa Fe Opera, where she was an Apprentice Singer, covering roles in La bohème and Die Walküre.

Her repertoire spans a wide range of roles, including appearances in Il trittico, Hansel and Gretel, The Barber of Seville, and contemporary works such as Of Mice and Men.

Alissa holds both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

AYA is honored to support artists who continue to shape the future of the arts.

Stay tuned for more artists from the AYA community.

We are proud to introduce .emi.nishi Erin Emi Nishi, a violinist and violist whose work bridges solo, chamber, and orche...
04/03/2026

We are proud to introduce .emi.nishi Erin Emi Nishi, a violinist and violist whose work bridges solo, chamber, and orchestral performance.

She is currently pursuing her Master of Music at The Juilliard School and is a member of the Juilliard based Karuna Quartet. She previously studied at Yale University, where she graduated with distinction in Psychology and Neuroscience.

As a soloist, Erin has performed with ensembles including the Yale Symphony Orchestra, Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, Maui Chamber Orchestra, and Kamuela Philharmonic. She is a prize winner of multiple international competitions, including the Osaka International Competition and the Nā Hōkū Ōpio Young Stars Competition, and was named winner of the William Waite Concerto Competition at Yale. 

Her recent performances include concerto appearances and international engagements, with a debut across Europe in North Macedonia and Greece.

A dedicated chamber musician, she has collaborated with artists including Stefan Jackiw, Nobuyuki Tsujii, Michael Nicholas, and Chee Yun Kim, and has participated in leading programs such as Kneisel Hall, Yellow Barn, and the Hawaii Chamber Music Festival. 

Through her work, Erin brings a thoughtful musical voice shaped by both artistic and interdisciplinary perspectives.

AYA is honored to support artists who continue to shape the future of the arts.

Stay tuned for more artists from the AYA community.

We are proud to introduce .dexter Dexter Doris, a New York based violinist whose work reflects both technical command an...
04/02/2026

We are proud to introduce .dexter Dexter Doris, a New York based violinist whose work reflects both technical command and a strong emerging artistic voice.

He began his musical studies at an early age and made his orchestral debut at 12 with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, performing Vieuxtemps’s Violin Concerto No. 4.

Dexter is a National YoungArts winner and has been featured as a guest artist on NPR’s From the Top. He has performed at leading venues including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

His work has included collaborations and masterclasses with artists such as Midori, Maxim Vengerov, and Lara St. John, reflecting a broad and engaged musical development.

Recent highlights include a fellowship at the Colorado College Summer Music Festival, where he performed Barber’s Violin Concerto, and a residency at the Frost School of Music with his string quartet.

Dexter studies at The Juilliard School.

AYA is honored to support artists who continue to shape the future of the arts.

Stay tuned for more artists from the AYA community.

We are proud to introduce Tongtong Lei, an internationally active violinist known for her clarity of sound, structural p...
04/02/2026

We are proud to introduce Tongtong Lei, an internationally active violinist known for her clarity of sound, structural precision, and deeply considered musical approach.

She made her U.S. debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, where her performance was noted for its refined tonal control and architectural sense of form.

A recipient of the Steven Ying Scholarship, Tongtong has received recognition in numerous international competitions, reflecting a continually evolving and intellectually engaged artistic voice.

Her work spans both traditional and contemporary repertoire, with performances of works by composers including Krzysztof Penderecki, Astor Piazzolla, and Eric Ewazen. In chamber and contemporary settings, she approaches music through questions of structure, narrative, and collaboration.

Her performances have brought her to major venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Jordan Hall, the Berliner Philharmonie, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing.

Increasingly, her artistic projects explore interdisciplinary connections between music, movement, and visual media, expanding the role of the violin within contemporary performance.

Tongtong’s training includes the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, the New England Conservatory, and The Juilliard School. She continues her studies in Europe.

AYA is honored to support artists who continue to shape the future of the arts.

Stay tuned for more artists from the AYA community.

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