An ensemble and six up-and-coming young musicians will receive career development and support

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Astral Artists has announced the winners of its 2023 National Competition. Astral is a nonprofit intensive mentoring programme that specialises in developing the early careers of classical musicians.  Seven artists have been invited to join Astral’s programme with the start of the 2023/24 season. The chosen artists are:

Astral Mixtape, chamber ensemble

Sylvia Jiang, piano

Eunbi Kim, piano

Priscila Navarro, piano

Nathaniel Sullivan, baritone

Luiz Fernando Venturelli, cello

Noël Wan, harp

’We are thrilled to welcome these new artists to our roster, and provide them with opportunities to expand their artistry, connect with audiences, and craft purposeful and sustainable careers,’ said Astral president and CEO, Lourdes Starr. Starr also mentioned that due to an abundance of artists on the current roster, next year’s auditions will be postponed to the 2024/25 season.

This year, Astral auditioned low voice, chamber ensembles, strings, percussion, and piano candidates for placement in its programme of approximately 25 musicians. Applicants undergo a competitive three-round process consisting of selection from an initial pool of candidates from across the United States, a live audition for an independent panel of industry-leading musicians, managers, conductors, and presenters, concluding with a final interview round.

Once awarded a place in Astral’s career development programme, National Competition Winners receive customised career development mentorship, a robust portfolio of promotion assets, performance opportunities, community engagement opportunities, artistic exploration, and networking with top professionals in the field.

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