Young Classical Artists Trust Announces Four New Artists for 2025

Pianist Kasparas Mikužis, violinist Matteo Cimatti, cellist Petar Pejčić, and guitarist Samrat Majumder will will receive performance opportunities and mentoring

The Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) has named four musicians that will join its roster of young artists in 2025.

This year’s selected artists, recognized for their outstanding talent, potential and musical personality, include pianist Kasparas Mikužis, violinist Matteo Cimatti, cellist Petar Pejčić, and guitarist Samrat Majumder.

These players will be afforded a number of performance opportunities both in the UK and internationally, and will appear at venues such as Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and the Konzerthaus Berlin. They will also receive mentoring, support with career planning, publicity materials, and advice on digital promotion.

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the organization has announced a new annual award. The YCAT 40th Anniversary Artist will offer one of the selected artists an enhanced package of support over their initial year with YCAT. The first recipient is Samrat Majumder, selected "not only for his outstanding musical talent, but for demonstrating a clear artistic vision, ambition, and readiness to fully benefit from this opportunity."

The panel responsible for selecting these exceptional artists at the final auditions, held at Wigmore Hall on Thursday 22nd May, comprised Caro Barnfield, Music Programme Director at Britten Pears Arts; Guido Gaertner, former Managing Director and Intendant, Bremer Philharmonker; Philip Noyce, Managing Editor, Classic FM; Rachel van-Walsum, Director and co-founder of Maestro Arts; Stephen McHolm, Director of the Verbier Academy; Tanya Bannister, President of Concert Artists Guild, NY; and Alasdair Tait, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of YCAT.

“As YCAT continues to celebrate 40 years of supporting and launching the careers of exceptional artists, our 2025 auditions have produced a truly fitting example of the inspiring talent and diverse range of individual musical personalities currently emerging onto the concert platform. It has been a humbling experience to witness the sheer number of impressive musicians who have applied for us this year from across the world, and we are truly excited and honoured to now be working together with these four extraordinary artists over the coming years as they continue to grow and flourish.”