ASTRAL BLOG

ASTRAL ANNOUNCES 2019 NATIONAL AUDITIONS WINNERS

Astral | Thursday June 13, 2019

Astral is pleased to announce the winners of its 2019 National Auditions. Selected from an initial pool of applicants from across the United States, and following a competitive audition and interview process, six exceptionally gifted rising-star artists have been invited to join Astral’s prestigious program. They are:

Christopher Goodpasture, piano
Alexander Hersh, cello
Saetbyeol Kim, piano
Mitchell Kuhn, oboe
Alexandra Nowakowski, soprano
Ekaterina Skliar, domra/mandolin

“Each year the bar rises for our National Auditions candidates,” says Executive Director Julia Rubio. “It is a testament to the extraordinary artistry and social conscientiousness that modern classical musicians bring to the field. Our six winners have excelled through a rigorous audition process, and we look forward to introducing the world to the next generation of great performers and thinkers.”

Philadelphia audiences will be able to hear Astral’s newest artists at the 2019 Astral National Auditions Winners Concert, which takes place at Stotesbury Mansion in Philadelphia on Wednesday, October 16, 2019 at 7:00pm.

ABOUT THE ASTRAL NATIONAL AUDITIONS

This year, Astral auditioned voice, strings, small chamber ensembles, piano, woodwinds, and brass candidates for placement in its esteemed program of approximately 25 musicians. Applicants, if advanced, undergo a competitive three-round process. Following the application round, live auditions candidates are 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 Auditions.

Once awarded a place in Astral’s career development program, National Auditions Winners receive customized career development mentorship, a full complement of marketing materials, superior performance opportunities, community engagement experience, artistic exploration, and networking with top professionals in the field.

THE 2019 NATIONAL AUDITIONS WINNERS

Christopher Goodpasture, piano
Los Angeles native Christopher Goodpasture has been a top prizewinner of the Washington, Seattle, Iowa, and Dallas international piano competitions, as well as the Serge and Olga Koussevitzky Competition for Pianists. Currently a member of New York-based Ensemble Connect (formerly Ensemble ACJW), a fellowship program of Carnegie Hall, the Juilliard School, and the Weill Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education, he studied at the University of Southern California and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, and holds graduate degrees from the Yale School of Music and The Juilliard School.

Alexander Hersh, cello
From Chicago, Alexander Hersh has been soloist with the Houston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops, and, as both a soloist and chamber musician, received top prizes from the New York International Artists Association, Friends of the Minnesota Orchestra, Ima Hogg, Schadt, Hellam Young Artist, Fischoff, and Chicago National Chamber Music competitions, among others. He holds both a Bachelor and Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory, and was a recipient of the Frank Huntington Beebe Fund gant, for studies in Berlin.

Saetbyeol Kim, piano
Saetbyeol Kim won First Prize at both the Dallas International Competition and the Rochester Philharmonic Concerto Competition, and received top prizes from the New Orleans, San Antonio, and Louisiana International piano competitions. From South Korea, she has been soloist with the Pohang Philharmonic Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Dallas Chamber Symphony, and the Rapides Symphony Orchestra, among others. She holds graduate degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and currently studies at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University.

Mitchell Kuhn, oboe
Currently the principal oboe of The Florida Orchestra, Mitchell Kuhn has also debuted with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, performed with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and has been concerto soloist with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. A fellow of the New York String Orchestra Seminar, he is currently on the roster of the Center for Musical Excellence, and is pursuing a Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School.

Alexandra Nowakowski, soprano
Alexandra Nowakowski is currently a Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist at the Washington National Opera. The Polish-American has won First Prize at the Marcella Sembrich International Voice, Gerda Lissner Foundation, Vocal Arts DC, and Violetta DuPont competitions. Upcoming, she appears with the Washington National Opera, Opera Baltycka in Gdansk, Poland, and the National Symphony Orchestra. She is an alumna of Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts, and holds her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Ekaterina Skliar, domra/mandolin
From Abakan, Republic of Khakassia, Russia, Ekaterina Skliar has concertized throughout the U.S. and Russia as a symphonic soloist, in solo recitals, and with Russian folk instrument orchestras and chamber ensembles. A Silver Medal Global Music Award winner, for her solo domra recording, she has won top prizes from the International Music Competition of Folk Instrument Performers, “The Hope” Prize, and the Kaleidoscope Instrumental and Vocal Competition, among many others. She studied at the Novosibirsk Specialized Music School and holds a Bachelor’s degree from the M. Glinka Novosibirsk State Conservatory in Russia.