Performance Today names five students for 2023-2024 Young Artist in Residency Series

Nov 17, 2023

ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 17, 2023 –Performance Today, from YourClassical and distributed by American Public Media, has announced five young musicians who have been identified for the 2023-2024 Performance Today Young Artists in Residence Program (PTYA).    

Performance Today is the most popular, award-winning classical music radio program in the country. Performance Today works with the best conservatories from around the country to identify their top talent to take part in the PTYA Program each year.  

“Over nearly three decades, Performance Today has a remarkable track record highlighting future star of classical music,” says Fred Child, host of Performance Today. “Our Young Artist Residencies are an extraordinary opportunity for these performers to jump-start their careers, and for music lovers to meet the talents and tastemakers of the next generation. I’m happy and honored to introduce these young players to music lovers across the country and around the world.” 

Each Young Artist will have performances and interviews with host Fred Child recorded for broadcast and will participate in outreach to elementary and middle-school students.   

This year’s Young Artists are: 

  • Sarah Ma, Oberlin Conservatory of Music 

Sarah is pursuing a double degree at Oberlin College and Conservatory in Comparative American Studies and Violin, studying with Sibbi Bernhardsson, after transferring from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Donald Weilerstein and Li Lin. She was recently the youngest competitor and 2nd Prizewinner at the 2023 Dallas International Violin Competition. Sarah is a founding member of the Poiesis Quartet, which recently swept the 2023 Fischoff Competition, winning the overall Grand Prize, Senior Strings Gold Medal, as well as the Lift Every Voice Prize for the best performance of an underrepresented work. Sarah has soloed with numerous orchestras. In addition to performance, Sarah is passionate about integrating the arts in community work and advocacy, particularly to center non-traditional genres and underrepresented works.  

  • Jane Yoo, Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University 

Jane holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Seoul National University and Master of Music from Yale School of Music. She is the only musician to be admitted by unanimous vote into the Artist Diploma program at the Peabody Institute, where she is currently studying with Dr. June Han. Jane has performed across the globe in concerts, including in the United States, Korea and Hong Kong, among others. She has won numerous prizes, including the USA International Harp Competition, 1st Prize at the Korean International Harp Competition, Korean National Music Association, and the Korean Chamber Orchestra Competition, and Special Prize at Szeged Hungary International Harp Competition. She was invited as a soloist in the “Focus on Youth” concert of World Harp Congress in Hong Kong in 2017 and was a Kumho Young Concert Artist twice in 2014 and 2017. As a soloist, Jane has performed with numerous orchestras and appeared as a solo young artist in many music festivals. She has been associate principal harpist at the Civic Orchestra of Chicago since 2023.   

  • Avery Gagliano, Curtis Institute of Music 

Originally from Washington D.C., Avery studies at the Curtis Institute with Robert McDonald. She made her debut at Carnegie Hall two years ago at the age of 20. Avery came to international acclaim as the First Prize and Best Concerto Prize winner of the 2020 National Chopin Piano Competition, and as the only American semifinalist at the 18th International Chopin Competition in 2021. Avery is also a dedicated chamber musician, regularly sharing the stage with ensembles such as the Balourdet Quartet and the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players in New York. At the invitation of Sir András Schiff, Avery appeared in recitals throughout Europe in the 2022/23 season as part of his Building Bridges series. She has also in recent seasons appeared on renowned concert stages and festivals as well as numerous solo appearances with orchestras. Alongside her successes at the two most highly regarded Chopin competitions, Avery was the winner of the Aspen Music Festival Concerto Competition, MostArts Festival Piano Competition, and 2019 National YoungArts Competition. 

  • Daniel Dastoor, San Francisco Conservatory of Music 

Daniel is currently in the final year of his Artist Diploma in Chamber Music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studies with Ian Swensen. Most recently, he completed an Artist Diploma at the Glenn Gould School, and he also holds degrees in music from the Mount Royal Conservatory and the University of Calgary, as well as degrees in Computer Science from the University of Calgary and University of Toronto. A native of Montreal and a frequent participant in competitions and festivals, Daniel is a winner of the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation Award and the Calgary Philharmonic’s Marley Rynd Performance Scholarship. He has participated twice in Calgary Pro Musica’s Young Artists Program, most recently as part of the Walden Trio, with which he competed in the Fischoff Chamber Competition, and with which he was mentored by the Gryphon Trio at the Festival del Lago Academy in Ajijic, Mexico. A passionate chamber musician, Daniel has performed with numerous chambers, festivals and as a soloist. 

  • Najee Greenlee, The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University 

Najee is a clarinetist from Flint, Michigan, and is currently in his second year at Rice University, where he studies with Richie Hawley. Greenlee was a student at Interlochen Arts Academy, where he was selected for From the Top’s Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. This past summer, he was a student at the Aspen Music Festival and performed with the Conducting Academy orchestra as a recipient of a fellowship. Last spring, Najee was a winner of the Shepherd School of Music’s concerto competition and will perform with the school’s orchestra in April 2024. 

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About YourClassical 
YourClassical® is a collection of curated classical music listening experiences and information produced by Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media Group. YourClassical provides audiences with the music they love through terrestrial broadcasts and multiple web-based platforms. Nationally syndicated YourClassical programs include Pipedreams®, SymphonyCast®, Composers Datebook® and Performance Today®, and are in addition to the Radio, Lullaby, Relax, Peaceful Piano, and Holiday audio streams that can be found at YourClassical.org. Regional music programming produced by YourClassical MPR®, is a trusted companion for listeners across Minnesota on broadcast radio, web interfaces and live events. YourClassical MPR’s Kid’s Initiatives strives to inspire the next generation of music fans and artists through in-school learning experiences, educational content, and resources for teachers and parents. Each week, nearly 2.75 million people engage with YourClassical. Learn more and listen at yourclassical.org.   

About American Public Media 
American Public Media® (APM) is the national programming and distribution division of Minnesota Public Radio® and reaches nearly 17 million listeners with 1,000 public radio stations and over 400 commercial stations nationwide each week. APM is one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world, with a portfolio that includes BBC World Service, Marketplace®, and the leading classical music programs in the nation. APM Studios, a division of APM, offers a diverse array of podcasts featuring the best in food, culture, entertainment, business and investigative journalism. For more information on APM, visit americanpublicmedia.org.   

Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio, Nationwide DMA data, Persons 12+, Fall ‘22.