Bridget Esler, Taige Wang Win 2026 Susan Wadsworth Auditions

By Tom Whitfield

More than 150 applicants formed the pool from which Young Concert Artists selected two solo artists and its 2026 Ensemble-in-Residence on Nov. 8, 2026, announcing them as winners of the Susan Wadsworth International Auditions.

YCA said the final selection took place at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York City.

YCA named three winners:

• Bridget Esler, a 26-year-old Canadian soprano.
• Taige Wang, a 16-year-old American pianist.
• Dōnum String Quartet from South Korea, the 2026 Ensemble-in-Residence.

According to YCA, all three will join the YCA roster. The announcement does not identify the members of Dōnum String Quartet or explain how the ensemble was selected.

The jury also awarded three Laureate Prizes. Each combines a $5,000 career development grant with an invitation to return to the Semi-Final Round of a future audition cycle.

YCA named these recipients:

• Jack Gao, a Chinese pianist.
• Tianyou Ma, a Chinese violinist.
• Emad Zolfaghari, a Canadian violist.

The announcement lists the laureates separately and does not say they will join the YCA roster. Their stated return opportunity is an invitation into a future audition cycle, not a guarantee that they will become main winners.

YCA listed a 10-member jury for the 2026 competition:

• YCA Founder Susan Wadsworth and pianist Inon Barnatan.
• Clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein and conductor Jane Glover.
• Violist Hsin-Yun Huang and violinist Nicholas Kitchen.
• Cellist Paul Watkins and soprano Christine Goerke.
• San Diego Symphony President and CEO Martha Gilmer.
• Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Associate Director for Classical Programming Erin Norton.

YCA President Daniel Kellogg said:

“These Auditions represent the heart and soul of YCA. Our final round showcased an exceptional group of artists who delivered truly superb musical performances. It is a privilege to invite these extraordinary musicians, including our 2026 Ensemble-in-Residence, into the YCA family, and we look forward to introducing them to our community during tonight’s Winners Concert.”

Kellogg’s statement offers an emphatic assessment but no supporting detail. The announcement gives no repertoire, scoring method, comparative assessments, vote totals or account of how the jurors reached their decisions.

In context, the reference to “tonight’s Winners Concert” places the introduction on the evening of the Nov. 8 final. The announcement provides no program, ticket information or separate concert venue.

What does roster membership change for the three winners?

YCA gives one immediate answer: Esler, Wang and Dōnum will join the roster, and Kellogg expects to introduce them to the organization’s community at the Winners Concert. It does not define what roster membership entails. The announcement names no contract, fee, management arrangement, performance commitment or tour schedule.

For Gao, Ma and Zolfaghari, the immediate benefit is more concrete: $5,000 in career development support and an invitation to return for a future Semi-Final Round. The announcement does not promise those laureates a place on the roster or a return to the final round.

The next concrete step for Esler, Wang and Dōnum is the Winners Concert; the announcement stops short of explaining what follows for them as YCA members.