(L-R) Jeff Coffin, Patrick Bartley, Jr. and Braden Waddell.
Yamaha Artist Services Indianapolis, in conjunction with Yamaha Corporation of America’s Band and Orchestral Division, announced nine 2015 Yamaha Young Performing Artists (YYPA) Competition Winners. The annual YYPA Program, which underscores Yamaha’s commitment to music education, recognizes exceptional emerging jazz, classical and contemporary musicians.
Winners are chosen after submitting recordings and supporting material, which are evaluated by a panel of Yamaha Performing Artists and national celebrity musicians. In addition to the nine winners, the judges chose five honorable mention recipients. The winners received an all-expense paid trip to the YYPA Celebration Weekend, June 20-23, 2015, which included rehearsals, master classes, social events and workshops focused on how to establish and maintain a career in music. The weekend culminated with the YYPA Concert, held Monday, June 22, at 8 p.m. at Emens Auditorium on the campus of Ball State University. The event served as the kick-off concert for the Music for All Summer Symposium, presented by Yamaha.
Jeff Coffin was the featured artist at this year’s YYPA celebration, who is a world-class saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator. He won three Grammy Awards as a member of Bela Fleck and The Flecktones, with whom he played for more than a decade until 2010, and is currently a member of the Dave Matthews Band. He also fronts Jeff Coffin + the Mu’tet and presents music education clinics nationwide, attesting to his passion for helping musicians find and shape their personal musical voice.
The 2015 YYPA Winners join the ranks of more than 200 former winners, since the program’s inception, many of who have established successful music careers. Past winners include Ricardo Morales, principal clarinet of the Philadelphia Orchestra; Alex Han, saxophonist with Marcus Miller; Otis Murphy, professor of saxophone, Indiana University; Conrad Jones, principal trumpet with the Tucson Symphony; and Aaron Parks, jazz pianist and Blue Note recording artist.
For more information about the Yamaha Young Performing Artists Program, e-mail jgascho@yamaha.com or visit: http://4wrd.it/YYPA_WEBSITE_2015
Front (L-R): Patrick Bartley, Jr. (saxophone); Misaki Nakamichi (drum set); Graeme Johnson (clarinet); Stuart Englehart (bassoon). Back (L-R): Jae Young Kim (piano); Zack Grass (tuba); Kyle Price (cello); Braden Waddell (trumpet)
The 2015 YYPA Winners include:
- Michael Alampi – Flute – Glen Ridge, New Jersey
- Graeme Johnson – Clarinet – Austin, Texas
- Stuart Englehart – Bassoon – Olmsted Falls, Ohio
- Patrick Bartley, Jr. – Saxophone – Hollywood, Florida
- Braden Waddell – Trumpet – Graham, Washington
- Zachary Grass – Tuba – Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
- Misaki Nakamichi – Drum Set – Osaka, Japan
- Kyle Price – Cello – Worthington, Ohio
- Jae Young Kim – Piano – Seoul, South Korea
2015 Honorable Mentions:
- Christopher Padilla – Saxophone – Spring, Texas
- Adam Marchand – Trumpet – Muncie, Indiana
- Mark Trotter – Horn – Seminole, Florida
- Kevin Broom – Euphonium – McLean, Virginia
- Se Um – Percussion – Rochester, New York