Founded in 1984, the Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) is a specialist charity operating in the UK that supports the early careers of emerging young classical musicians. [1]
The purpose of the trust is to identify, nurture, and promote outstanding young soloists and ensembles at the outset of their professional careers. As an artist management service, YCAT liaises with promoters in the UK and abroad. YCAT also presents concerts to showcase the artists it represents. After three years of representation, YCAT aims to introduce the artists to suitable commercial management. [2]
Through 2022–2023, YCAT generated £233,000 in performance fees, which were all given to YCAT's artists. Musicians who have started their careers in YCAT include James Baillieu, The Belcea Quartet, the Fibonacci Quartet and Allison Balsom. YCAT has supported 45 winners and finalists of the BBC Young Musician of the Year award in the past 20 years. [3]
The Leverhulme Trust is a large national grant-making organisation in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1925 under the will of the 1st Viscount Leverhulme (1851–1925), with the instruction that its resources should be used to cover certain trade charities and support "scholarships for the purposes of research and education." Over time, it has come to focus on the latter aim.
The Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) is a not-for-profit institution founded in 1910, dedicated to promoting international friendship pursuant to its royal charter, an ethos which binds its global membership.
Guy Johnston is a British cellist and the winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year award in 2000. He has subsequently enjoyed a successful international career as a soloist and chamber musician and currently serves as an associate professor of Cello at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester New York.
The Sacconi Quartet is a UK-based classical music string quartet founded in 2001 by four graduates of the Royal College of Music, London, UK. The Quartet has achieved widespread recognition, having given recitals in leading British concert halls and at music festivals in Britain and across Europe. They have also won several major prizes in string quartet and chamber music competitions. The Quartet is named for the outstanding twentieth-century Italian violin maker and restorer Simone Sacconi, who wrote The Secrets of Stradivari a reference work for violin makers.
The Katona Twins are a Hungarian guitar duo, composed of identical twins Péter and Zoltán Katona. They have performed at prestigious venues and at major music festivals around the world. Their performances and recordings have been widely reviewed by the music press. and they have been described as "the classical world's best-known guitar duo".
Peter Moore is a trombonist, who was born on 1 January 1996 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and brought up in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester. He studied at Chethams School of Music in Manchester, leaving in 2014.
NMC Recordings is a British recording label and a charity which specialises in recording works by living composers from the British Isles.
Young Concert Artists is a New York City-based artist management company dedicated to discovering and promoting the careers of talented young classical musicians from all over the world. The organization, founded in 1961, invites artists to audition and compete as soloists or in an ensemble. The number of winners varies from year to year, as there is no specified limit to the number of participants who can win.
Alasdair Tait is a Scottish cellist, teacher and artistic director who is the Chief Executive & Artistic Director of Young Classical Artists Trust. Tait previously recorded and toured with the Belcea Quartet, performed at music festivals, and judged music competitions.
Music Masters is a UK-based music education charity which works with schools, teachers and arts organisations with the aim of making music accessible to all.
Colin David Currie is a multi award-winning Scottish virtuoso percussionist. He is the founder and leader of the Colin Currie Group, an ensemble specializing in performing and recording the music of Steve Reich.
The Sphinx Organization is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of young Black and Latino classical musicians. Based in Detroit, Michigan, it was founded by the American violinist Aaron Dworkin. The Sphinx was chosen to represent this organization because of what it symbolizes: "the power, wisdom and persistence" that the organization hopes to instill in its participants.
The Borletti-Buitoni Trust (BBT) was established as a charitable trust in 2002 to help young musicians throughout the world. The Trust assists classical instrumentalists, ensembles and singers in their early 20s and 30s to further develop their international careers with awards that fund tailor-made projects. The first awards were made in 2003.
Ching-Yun "Charlotte" Hu is a Taiwanese-born American classical pianist. She won the 2008 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition and the 2012 Golden Melody Award for Best Classical Album. She founded Yun-Hsiang International Music Festival in Taipei.
Ji Liu was born 1990 and is a Chinese concert pianist, recording artist, and published composer currently based in London.
Bartosz Woroch is a Polish-born violinist and prize winner at major international competitions such as the Pablo Sarasate in Pamplona, Spain, in 2003 and the 2005 Michael Hill International Violin Competition in New Zealand.
The City Music Foundation (CMF) is an organization that supports professional musicians in the United Kingdom in developing their careers.
Alba Ventura is a Spanish classical pianist. She made her debut as a concert soloist at the age of 13, performing with the Cadaqués Orchestra of Spain, and went on to have an international solo career. She is a professor at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu.
The British Record Industry Trust is a recorded music charity in the UK, established in 1989 by UK record labels. Its mission is to "improve lives through the power of music and the creative arts". It is directed by a team of trustees, led by Tony Wadsworth, who was appointed chair of The BRIT Trust in February 2021, taking over from John Craig.
Lora Dimitrova is a Bulgarian classical pianist, teacher and leader in music education. She lives in the United Kingdom.