How the ABC Young Performers Awards helped launch the careers of these Australian musicians
The ABC Young Artists Awards have been held since 1944. The competition launched the careers of some of Australia’s most successful musicians.
Many of them have become known on international stages, including composer and violist Brett Dean, pianist Simon Tedeschi, percussionist Claire Edwardes, violinist Emily Sun and more.
In 2026, the Young Artists Awards return to ABC Classic.
To find out what it’s like to take part in the competition, we spoke to past winners about their preparations, journeys through the tours and the opportunities the prizes open up.
Percussionist Claire Edwardes prepares for the competition
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Claire Edwardes is one of Australia’s best-known percussionists.
She is particularly respected for her work advocating for contemporary classical music by women and other marginalized voices.
Edwardes is the Artistic Director of the contemporary classical group Ensemble Offspring.
He participated in the competition in 1999 while waiting to start his master’s degree in the Netherlands.
“Competition gave me something to focus on and work towards,” Edwardes says.
In 1999, becoming a percussionist wasn’t something many aspiring musicians considered a career choice, so Edwardes competed in a category known as “other instruments.”
But he went above and beyond to prepare his repertoire.
“I hand-wrote the piano reduction of Joseph Schwantner’s Concerto for Percussion and orchestra, because it really showed the breadth of all the different things I could do,” says Edwardes.
He even sought advice from American percussionist Christopher Lamb, who first performed the music in 1995.
Edwardes prevailed against serious rivals, including pianist Andrea Lam and violinist Alexandra Osborne, who are highly successful musicians today.
The percussionist spent the next seven years playing as a soloist with all symphony orchestras in Australia.
“This would never have happened if I hadn’t won the Young Artists Awards,” he says.
Violinist Emily Sun explains how the competition boosted her career
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Emily Sun is an internationally sought-after violinist who performs regularly on some of the world’s most beautiful stages, including Australia.
She first became known to audiences through the 2011 documentary Miss Carey’s Concert, which followed a group of students preparing for a big performance at the Sydney Opera House.
Sun has a long history at the Young Artists Awards; He was one of the finalists in 2011 and eventually won the competition in 2018.
“Winning the YPA [Young Performers Awards] Performance was a huge turning point for me in my career,” says Sun.
“This has given me the confidence and opportunities to perform in concerto, recital and chamber settings all over Australia.“
As part of the award, Sun became ABC Classic’s Artist in Residence, which included recording an album and appearing on broadcast and digital platforms.
“I definitely came out of this as a different artist,” Sun says.
His success went beyond the competition.
In 2023, Sun became the custodian of the Adelaide, a rare 250-year-old Italian violin produced by the famous luthier Giovanni Battista Guadagnini.
Clarinetist Lloyd Van’t Hoff describes the musicians he met
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Clarinetist Lloyd Van’t Hoff, who won the competition in 2015, says his biggest gain was connecting with other musicians.
Van’t Hoff grew up in Charters Towers in Far North Queensland. Meeting a dedicated and inspiring music teacher when he was 11 years old changed his life.
His family moved to Brisbane so Van’t Hoff could continue his higher education at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) in Melbourne.
Van’t Hoff was “genuinely blown away” after completing her training when she decided to audition for the Young Artists Awards.
“I felt this expectation from my peers, teachers, and family who were invested in my musical education,” he shares.
Although Van’t Hoff was initially intimidated by the prospect of competition, he decided to give it a try.
“[Luckily]“I had this whole repertoire that felt pretty comfortable,” he says.
In 2015 most of the tours took place in Tasmania.
Professional musicians collaborated with contestants in the semi-final chamber music rounds, and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra played with the grand finalists.
“Most of the people I met during the competition were people who opened doors for me.“
He was invited to collaborate with more established ensembles such as the Flinders Quartet and formed his own group, the Arcadia wind quintet.
Van’t Hoff says there’s a “tremendous sense of camaraderie” among the Young Performers Awards contestants.
“We’re all friends for life,” says Van’t Hoff.
Flutist Eliza Shephard explains the knock-on effects of winning
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Flutist Eliza Shephard, winner of the latest Young Artists Awards for 2022, is on course to become one of Australia’s most exciting artists.
He is also an educator, improviser and recording artist.
“I speak loud and I’m proud [love of] contemporary music,” says Shephard.
Shephard’s most influential teacher, Virginia Taylor, herself won the Young Artists Award in 1988.
When Shephard entered the competition, she had already completed her master’s degree at ANAM, as well as a four-month course in New York focusing on contemporary flute playing technique, which influenced her repertoire choices.
While most musicians complete the competition within a year, Shephard’s band had to navigate COVID-19 quarantines and pandemic restrictions.
This makes the competition “a long, drawn-out process,” Shephard says.
To comply with pandemic restrictions, contestants’ performances in empty studios had to be recorded and filmed.
“I asked if someone could be there just to make it feel like a performance,” says Shephard.
ABC allowed each player to bring a support person to the semi-final and grand final rounds as long as they did not interrupt the registration process.
Shephard’s youngest brother came to support him.
“They had to wear masks and they weren’t allowed to clap,” Shephard recalls.
“They used the Auslan sign for applause at the end of each piece.”
Shephard says the biggest lesson he learned from the competition was how to showcase who he is as a musician through his repertoire choices, technique and curatorial ability.
Beyond the Young Artists Awards, Shephard also spearheaded the Women’s March, a recording project now in its seventh year.
The project aims to increase the representation of female composers and support female flutists.
Shephard recently commissioned six Australian female composers to write new music for him, and this was made possible thanks to the cash prize he received from the Young Performers Awards.
“A portion of my earnings go to help fund percentages of these commissions,” says Shephard.
“YPA [Young Performers Awards] It’s made a huge impact on my career, it’s so great to sit down and be with.“
Applications have started for the ABC Young Artists Awards For musicians 31 and under.
