26-year-old Moldova accordionist Radu Ratoi and 22-year-old Austrian pIanist Kiron Tellian have today been awarded first prize at the 2024 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions (YCA), in New York City.

The 2024 finalists includes:
Julian Rhee, violin
Derek Wang, piano
Terra String Quartet
Kiron Tellian, piano
Radu Ratoi, accordion
Hoi Leong Cheong (Zach), piano
Trio Azura
Elli Choi, violin
Yang (Jack) Gao, piano
Rino Yoshimoto, violin
Gregory Feldman, baritone
Koshiro Takeuchi, violin

A Winners Concert will follow on Monday, October 28, 2024, at New York’s Gilder Lehrman Hall at The Morgan Library & Museum

Radu Ratoi has an stellar history of international competition successes. Praised for his originality, versatility, virtuosity in the concert and contemporary repertoire, Ratoi received in 2022 the renowed Moldavian National Distinction “Master in Arts” offered by the President of Republic Moldova. Since 2018, Radu Ratoi has won at all the important competitions in the world – Coupe Mondiale, PIF Castelfidardo, Moscow Accordion Competition, Klinghenthal Accordion Competition, Arrasate Accordion Competition, in concert and entertainment categories. In total, he has won more than 60 national and international awards.

Since 2018 to the present, Ratoi studies accordion at The Royal Danish Academy of Music, Prof Geir Dragsvoll.

The auditions success includes prestigious recital debuts in New York City and at the Washington D.C. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and throughout their three year tenure, both winners will also benefit from YCA’s connections with the industry’s managers, concert presenters, conductors of major orchestras, and financial supporters, as well as its long-standing reputation for discovering and furthering the careers of extraordinary young artists.

Founded in 1961 by Susan Wadsworth, The Young Concert Artists International Auditions differ from a competition, as there are no rankings, and any number of winners can be selected — with each candidate competing against a standard of excellence, not each other.

The jury for the final round this year comprised YCA President Daniel Kellogg, YCA Founder Susan Wadsworth, pianists Inon Barnatan and Angela Cheng, violinists Barry Shiffman and Pamela Frank, violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama, flutist Marya Martin, soprano Dawn Upshaw, conductor Constantine Orbelian, Met Opera Vocal Coach Donald Palumbo, Chicago Symphony VP of Artistic Planning Cristina Rocca and Carnegie Hall Director of Artistic Planning Abhijit Sengupta.