Now in its second year, the Marasco Young Artists’ Concert gives talented local musicians the chance to perform for Festival audiences, selected through open application. Details on how students may apply to participate will be announced on this page in January 2027. A cookie and juice reception will be held immediately following the concert, giving our young performers a chance to meet their audience.
The Marasco Young Artists’ Concert honors the memory of Dr. Joe Marasco, the Festival’s former Executive Director and a passionate advocate for music education and the next generation of musicians. Dr. Marasco believed young performers deserved real opportunities to grow, perform, and be inspired by live music, not just instruction in a classroom, and this concert was created to carry that belief forward.
This free event features performances by outstanding local student musicians and ensembles, giving them a professional concert platform many young performers rarely have access to: a real stage, a real audience, and the same setting the Festival offers its professional artists throughout the season. For these students, it’s a chance to test their artistry in front of a community that genuinely wants to see them succeed.
The concert reflects a core part of the Festival’s broader mission: supporting young artists through performance experience, exposure to classical music, and connection with mentors and peers who can help shape their development. We hope it becomes a meaningful milestone for emerging musicians in our community for years to come, and that each year’s concert builds on the one before it.
Details on how students may apply to participate will be announced on this page in January 2027.