Millwood, N.Y. – Friends of Music Concerts announced that its Performance Award will go to two winners of the 2025 Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, sponsored by Young Concert Artists: violinist Claire Wells and piano trio Trio Azura.
The award entitles the performer to appear in an FOMC concert series. Performances for Wells and Trio Azura are to be determined. The auditions took place on Nov. 9-10, 2025.
In 2008, FOMC started awarding a winner of the annual Susan Wadsworth International Auditions a place on our six-concert series. Past Performance Award winners have included artists who went on to international careers, such as Ray Chen, Zlatomir Fung and Albert Cano Smit.
Trio Azura was founded in 2022 at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles. Violinist Duncan McDougall, cellist Yejin Hong, and pianist Yanfeng (Tony) Bai study with renowned faculty Martin Beaver, Clive Greensmith, and Fabio Bidini. In 2023, Trio Azura participated in the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy, where they were awarded the “Rotary Club Siena” prize and performed in recital with Clive Greensmith.
Trio Azura was also selected to participate in the 2023 ARD International Music Competition. Despite being formed only recently, Trio Azura has quickly built incredible chemistry and has developed a comprehensive repertoire. They have participated in masterclasses with internationally acclaimed artists including pianists Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Orion Weiss, and Pedja Mužijević; violinist Arnaud Sussman; and cellist Nicholas Tzavaras.
American violinist Claire Wells, born in 2001, is acclaimed by audiences and the press for her expressive musicality and rich, singing quality of sound. Solo concert engagements have brought her to halls like the Wigmore Hall, the Meyerson Symphony Center, Bass Performance Hall, Teatro Degollado, and Konzerthaus Berlin.
Having won major prizes in international competitions, Wells is the Mendelssohn-Prize 1st Prize winner and Commission Prize winner at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Competition 2021, 2nd Prize winner at the Michael Hill International Violin Competition 2023, and has taken major prizes at the Indianapolis International Competition, Mirecourt International Competition, Lynn Harrell Competition, among others.
YCA seeks extraordinary artists who show potential for major careers as leading classical musicians, demonstrate technical and artistic mastery, and are ready to actively partner with YCA in their professional development. Through its rigorous annual audition process, three to four artists are selected as winners of the auditions by the distinguished YCA jury.