National YoungArts Foundation 2019 YoungArts Winners
January 1st, 2019
November 29, 2018
The YoungArts’ signature program is an application-based award for emerging artists ages 15–18 or in grades 10–12 from across the United States. Selected through a blind adjudication process, the winners represent the top 10 percent of applications. Winners are named Finalists, the organization’s highest honor, Honorable Mention or Merit. Finalists have the opportunity to participate in National YoungArts Week in Miami in January. All Honorable Mention and Merit Winners become part of a professional network of over 20,000 alumni artists and are eligible to participate in YoungArts’ regional programs, including YoungArts Miami in February, YoungArts Los Angeles in March and YoungArts New York in April. Students spend a week fully immersed in their art form, participate genre-specific master classes, and network with equally motivated peers, and perform at leading venues in New York.
Congratulations to Music Institute of Chicago student winners!
CLASSICAL MUSIC CATEGORY
HONORABLE MENTION
Isabella Brown, 16, Academy violin student of Almita Vamos
Alon Hayut, 17, Academy cello student of Horacio Contreras
MERIT
Claire Arias-Kim, 17, Academy violin student of Almita Vamos
Irina Casasnovas, 18, Academy violin student of Almita Vamos
George Dalianis, 18, piano student of Katherine K. Lee
About the Recognition Levels
Honorable Mention: The YoungArts Honorable Mention award level recognizes work that demonstrates exceptional technique; a strong sense of artistry; and a depth of thinking/performance that exceeds the level of peers at this career stage. Honorable Mention winners receive a medallion, a $250 monetary award, and are invited to participate in a regional program, space permitting.
Merit: The YoungArts Merit award level recognizes work that has been deemed as commendable by the panel, strong technically with a clear artistic point of view. Merit winners receive a medallion and are invited to participate in a regional program, space permitting.
Finalist: The YoungArts Finalist award recognizes work that demonstrates exceptional technique; a strong, sophisticated, nuanced, and clear artistic point of view; and a depth of thinking/performance that far exceeds the level of peers at this career stage. Finalists receive a medallion, and are invited to participate in National YoungArts Week. During National YoungArts Week participants have the opportunity to work with the panel in person.