ASTRAL BLOG

ASTRAL ANNOUNCES 2023 NATIONAL COMPETITION WINNERS

Astral | Monday June 5, 2023

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Astral Artists, a nonprofit intensive mentoring program that specializes in developing the early careers of classical musicians, is pleased to announce the winners of its 2023 National Competition. Selected from an initial pool of candidates from across the United States, and following a competitive audition and interview process, seven exceptional Artists have been invited to join Astral’s program with the start of the 2023/24 season. They 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 grateful to the performers, conductors, and industry experts who made up our competition panel this year. Astral’s 31-year history provides deep connections to some of the most active, innovative, and impactful musicians who understand the ever-changing arts and culture industry. 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,” says President & CEO, Lourdes Starr. “We had an unprecedented number of outstanding candidates apply this spring. Because of the abundance of exceptional artists selected to join the roster in the 23/24 season, Astral will be postponing next year’s auditions to the 24/25 season.”

Philadelphia audiences will be able to hear Astral’s newest Artists at the 2023 Astral Fall Showcase Concert, which is planned to take place in mid-October 2023 at World Cafe Live. Further details and ticket information will be forthcoming later this summer.

ABOUT THE ASTRAL NATIONAL COMPETITION

This year, Astral auditioned low voice, chamber ensembles, strings, percussion, and piano candidates for placement in its esteemed program of approximately 25 musicians. Applicants undergo a competitive three-round process. Following the application round, live auditions candidates were invited to Philadelphia, where an independent panel of industry-leading musicians, managers, conductors, and presenters from across the U.S. adjudicate each discipline. The panels then recommend candidates for the final, interview round of the National Competition.

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

THE 2023 NATIONAL COMPETITION WINNERS

Astral Mixtape, chamber ensemble

Astral Mixtape is a multifaceted band of LA-based musicians who blend classical instrumental virtuosity with the sounds of their generation. They collaboratively create and perform original compositions and arrangements using a unique line-up of two violins, cello, piano, synthesizer, and electronics. Combining the spectacle of pop, the spontaneity of jazz, and the experimentation of contemporary music, they perform everywhere from the Banff Centre for the Arts, to local music venues like The 1905 in Portland or The Mint in Los Angeles, outdoor festivals, parks and movie theaters. Avid collaborators, Astral Mixtape has scored soundtracks for several prize-winning short films. The band recently released their name-inspiring visual album titled Astral Plains, produced in collaboration with the Santa Monica College Film Department and support from the Banff Centre. Through partnerships with Salastina and Project: Music Heals Us, Astral Mixtape has performed virtually each week for hundreds of patients in local hospitals for the past two years. In 2022, Astral Mixtape began presenting at Idyllwild Arts Academy, USC, Pasadena City College, and Santa Monica College. This summer, they will perform as resident artists of both the Meadowlark Music Festival and Benefic Chamber Music Camp and will open for Time For Three as part of the Vancouver Symphony’s USA Music and Arts Festival.

Sylvia Jiang, piano

Launching head-first at four years old into an exploration of the piano, New Zealand-born pianist Sylvia Jiang can now be found performing as a soloist with the Royal Philharmonic and chasing a piano in a new dance creation across the Kennedy Center stage with equal enthusiasm. She currently serves as the sole instrumental recipient in her cohort of the Artist Diploma award from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, where she studies with Richard Goode and Yong Hi Moon. A graduate of the Juilliard School, she has won numerous top prizes at the Hastings International, Kerikeri, Lev Vlassenko, and Wallace National Piano Competitions. Sylvia has also appeared as a soloist with the Auckland Philharmonic, Queensland Symphony, Music Academy of the West, Juilliard Chamber Orchestra, and St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra, giving recitals in New Zealand, Great Britain, Australia, Indonesia, South Korea, and the US. She is particularly interested in multi-disciplinary collaborative work and currently serves as the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of non-profit organization Muffin Music. She was invited to be a featured soloist in the Kennedy Center’s Ballet Across America with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Miami City Ballet where she worked with choreographer Pam Tanowitz on a new commission combining both dance companies.

Eunbi Kim, piano

Noted for her “creative curiosity and fearless experimentation” (New York Public Radio), New York City pianist Eunbi Kim creates intimate experiences that transcend the conventions of the piano recital. Featuring world-premiere recordings of works written for her by Angélica Negrón, Pauchi Sasaki, Sophia Jani, and Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), Kim’s recent album It Feels Like debuted at #2 on the Billboard Classical Charts. Eunbi developed a sonic memoir titled it feels like a dream featuring music from the album and immersive projections by new media artist Xuan. She has performed at the Kennedy Center and Greene Space WNYC/WQXR, held residencies at Gilmore Piano Festival and Bennington College, and her performance credits include a concert-meditation program at Lincoln Center, an album release party at Joe’s Pub, and a TEDx Talk. Her repertoire includes works written for her by DBR and Pauchi Sasaki as well as Toby Twining’s pieces for toy piano and rare concert works by jazz great Fred Hersh. Kim received her MM from the Manhattan School of Music, currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the New York Foundation for the Arts, and is co-founder of bespoken, a mentorship program for female-identifying and non-binary musicians.

Priscila Navarro, piano

Described as “a phenominal talent” (Atlanta Audio Club), Peruvian pianist Priscila Navarro is a prize winner of several international competitions, including the International City of Vigo Competition in Spain, Liszt-Garritson International Competition, and the Bach Competition in Leipzig. Priscila performs in a piano duo with Michael Baron, releasing their first album with MSR Classics to rave reviews followed by a Carnegie Hall premiere concert, where she had previously made her solo recital debut in 2013. Priscila is a passionate advocate for Latin American music, creating a piano method based on Peruvian folk music, and receiving a grant to perform a program of music by Peruvian composer Jimmy Lopez and Cuban American composer Tania Leon in 2023. She recently made her Kennedy Center debut with a sold-out concert organized by the Peruvian and Ecuadorean embassies. Priscila holds a DMA in piano performance and pedagogy from the Frost School of Music, where she also completed her MM and received an Artist Diploma. She is the Artistic Director of the Parnassus Music Society, an organization that provides high-quality musical events throughout Peru and South America. This fall, she will join the faculty at Whitworth University as Director of Keyboard Studies.

Nathaniel Sullivan, baritone

An “alert and highly musical baritone” (Opera News), Nathaniel Sullivan is a musician, theatre artist, and writer devoted to holding space for reflection, understanding, and creative projects that champion change. He will be participating in the vocal fellowship at the Ravinia Steans Music Institute this summer, appear as a bass soloist in the St. Matthew Passion with the Blanche Moyse Chorale, and bass soloist in Fauré’s Requiem with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. Recent highlights include chorister in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the NY Philharmonic, roles of The King in the North American premiere of George Benjamin’s Lessons in Love and Violence, Manfred in Jake Heggie’s Two Remain (Out of Darkness), and covering Harvey Milk in the world premiere of Stewart Wallace’s Harvey Milk Reimagined. Nathaniel has been awarded the Grace B. Jackson Prize for exceptional service at Tanglewood, and this May he received Third Prize at the 2023 Washington International Competition. During the COVID-19 shutdown, Nathaniel conceived and self-produced the Pandemigram Project, raising over $7,500 for 43 different charitable organizations. He received his BM from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and his MM from the Bard College Conservatory of Music.

Luiz Fernando Venturelli, cello

Luiz Fernando Venturelli is a Brazilian cellist who is rapidly gaining recognition as one of the most promising young musicians of the country. Born and raised in a musical family, Luiz began his musical studies at the age of 3 and began playing the cello when he was 8. He studied at the Instituto Baccarelli, a non-profit organization that offers free music lessons to children, from the time he was 8 until he came to the United States when he was 17. Luiz is a member of the Galvin Cello Quartet, recently winning CAG’s 2022 Victor Elmaleh Competition and the silver medal at the 2021 Fischoff Competition. Luiz has been a prize winner in the Paulo Bosisio competition, the Samuel and Eleanor Thaviu String competition, and the 24th Annual Sphinx Competition. As a soloist, Luiz has performed with the Symphony Orchestra of São Paulo, Bahia Symphony, and Goiás Philharmonic, among others. He received his BM from Northwestern University in 2021 and is currently a second year master’s student under Professor Hans Jensen. Luiz is a spirited enthusiast of non-classical music, having led a rock band and played and recorded with multiple artists in Brazil.

Noël Wan, harp

Lauded as “a huge talent [with] hidden power and amazing maturity” (Bart van Oort), Taiwanese-American harpist Noël Wan made her international debut with the Utrecht Symphony Orchestra at age 16. Upcoming engagements include a Debut Atlantic Concert Tour and performances at the Virginia Harp Center Festival, Taiwan Harp Festival, and Montreal Music Conservatory’s Harpenning Festival. Noël currently serves as Principal Harpist of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and is dedicated to the performance of contemporary music. In Fall 2023, she will begin a commissioning project for electroacoustic harp, generously funded by Florida State University. Noël is the first Taiwanese harpist to win Gold Medal in the USA International Harp Competition, and she is the youngest First Prize winner in the history of the World Harp Competition. An alumna of the University of Illinois (BM, DMA) and the Yale School of Music (MM), she is equally comfortable in her roles as a performer, academic, and educator, and scholar. She has presented at the American Harp Society Summer Institute and the American String Teachers Association National Conference, contributing to Harp Column, The Collective, The American Harp Journal, and VAN Magazine. Noël is currently the Assistant Professor of Harp and Entrepreneurship at Florida State University.

ABOUT ASTRAL ARTISTS

Astral Artists is a nonprofit intensive mentoring program specializing in developing the early careers of extraordinary classical musicians, whose mission is to empower outstanding, emerging musicians to shape purposeful and sustainable careers that inspire, connect, and excite diverse audiences. The Astral approach is forward-thinking, concentrating resources on a small number of rising-star performers and chamber ensembles with the potential to be change-makers and influencers. Cohorts of artistic visionaries leave the program ready to build a future for classical music, serve their communities, and reach new audiences. For more information, visit https://www.astralartists.org/