Sunday, January 31, 2027, at 4 pm
Wilton Presbyterian Church

Program

Paul Schoenfield: Café Music
Maurice Ravel: La Valse
Igor Stravinsky: Suite Italienne
Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No. 1 in d minor

YCA on Tour is an extraordinary and unique chamber music touring ensemble that is made up of the incredible talent of both current YCA artists and esteemed alumni from the YCA family. This unique initiative brings together the brightest emerging musicians and the seasoned veterans who have already made a significant impact in the classical music world. Rather than more commonly heard ad hoc ensembles, YCA on Tour groups are established ensembles that not only plan programs multiple seasons in advance, but also rehearse and explore the repertoire intensely over an unusually long rehearsal period prior to any touring activity. This investment in the rehearsal process results in profound musical discoveries that offer audiences astoundingly high-quality performances of rarely heard works.

Risa Hokamura began studying violin at the age of three and, by ten, had won top prizes in competitions across Japan. At seventeen, she gained international recognition as winner of the 2018 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, also receiving the Tannery Pond Concerts Prize, The Ruth Laredo Memorial Prize, and The Ronald A. Asherson Prize.

She has appeared as concerto soloist with the East Coast Chamber Orchestra, Kennett Symphony, The Apollo Orchestra, Greensboro Symphony, Muncie Symphony, Kanagawa Philharmonic, New Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, Kansai Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, and Sapporo Symphony.
An avid chamber musician, Risa has performed at Music@Menlo, Clarion Concerts, Newport Classical, Chamber Music Lehigh Valley, BIG ARTS Sanibel Island, Arts at Abingdon, and Arts Council of Moore County. Upcoming YCA chamber performances include the Salk Science & Music Series, Kravis Center, Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, Mobile Chamber Music, and Calgary Pro Musica. She performs on the 1715 “Joachim” Stradivarius (Nippon Music Foundation) and the 1734 “Ames-Totenberg” Stradivarius (Rare Violins In Consortium)

Violinist Lun Li is committed to creating thought-provoking, boundary-pushing concert experiences for contemporary audiences. A native of Shanghai, he won the 2021 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, along with the Paul A. Fish Memorial Prize, the Buffalo Chamber Music Society Prize, and was named John French Violin Chair at YCA.

He has appeared as concerto soloist with the Bangor Symphony, Kennett Square Symphony, Colgate University Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, Meridian Symphony, Salina Symphony, and McCall Summer Festival Orchestra, as well as with the Brevard Philharmonic, Aiken Symphony, University of South Carolina Symphony, Salisbury Symphony, and the Riverside Symphony at Alice Tully Hall.

Internationally, he has also performed at Konzerthaus Berlin, Wiener Konzerthaus, and Kulturpalast Dresden. This season, Lun was featured on the opening night of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center at Alice Tully Hall. He performs on the 1735 “Samazeuilh” Stradivarius, generously on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation.

Winner of the 2024 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, accordionist Radu Ratoi began playing at age six in his hometown in Moldova. He has since won over 60 national and international awards, including first prizes at six of the world’s most prestigious accordion competitions: Coupe Mondiale, Klingenthal, Trophy Mondiale, Arrasate, PIF Castelfidardo, and the Moscow Accordion Competition.

Renowned for his originality, versatility, and virtuosity in both classical and contemporary repertoire, Radu received the “Excellence Diploma” in 2018 and the Moldovan National Distinction “Master in Arts” in 2022, awarded by the President of Moldova. His artistry blends the Russian and Western European musical traditions into a distinctive personal style.

Radu’s 2022 debut album, Greatest Organ Works Arranged for Accordion, features works by J.S. Bach and Franz Liszt. His transcriptions of pieces by Bach, Scarlatti, Rameau, Liszt, and others continue to expand and redefine the accordion repertoire.

In the 2025–26 season, Radu will appear at the Usedom Music Festival, Parlance Chamber Concerts, Merkin Hall, and the Kennedy Center,. He will debut as concerto soloist with the Southwest German Radio Symphony, Mobile Symphony, and Westmoreland Symphony.

Australian cellist Benett Tsai has been praised for “electrifying…flawless freshness” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) and “charismatic, heartfelt playing” (Sydney Arts Guide). Named one of Limelight Magazine’s “next generation young musicians,” he gained international recognition at the 2022 Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann, winning Third Prize and the Special Prize for Best Haydn Concerto as the youngest participant. In 2023, he joined Young Concert Artists (YCA) after winning the YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions.

Debuting at thirteen, Benett has performed as a soloist and chamber musician with the Berlin Radio Symphony, Sinfonia Lahti, Kammerphilharmonie Metamorphosen Berlin, Canberra Symphony, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra Academy. Recital appearances include the Berliner Philharmonie, Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, Helsinki Music Centre, and Melbourne Recital Centre.

In 2025–26, Benett tours North America with recital engagements at Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, Classical Arts Society of Washington, and Friends of Music, and tours with YCA’s chamber music ensemble, YCA on Tour.