DEBUT ARTISTS
Honoring a long-standing tradition of the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra’s first Music Director, Maestro Edgar Braun, our Debut Artist program gives the opportunity for outstanding young musicians who have not yet made their professional debut to perform as a soloist on the orchestra’s MainStage Concert series.
All of our Debut Artists hail from the Bay Area, honoring our local community of outstanding young musicians and their teachers. The only exceptions are rising young classical stars from the outstanding Sphinx program, whose mission is to promote the musical development of young Black and Latino instrumentalists.
SFCO Debut Artists, 2007-2022
2007-08
Audrey Vardanega, piano
2008–09
Stephen Waarts, violin
2009–10
Isabel Lau & Benjamin Luo, cello
2010–11
Nathan Chan, cello
2011–12
Hilda Huang, piano
2012–13
Ben Pila, guitar
San Francisco Opera Center: Adler Fellows
Jennifer Cherest
A. J. Glueckert
Philippe Sly
Marina Harris
Erin Johnson
Chuanyue Wang
Hadleigh Adams
2013–14
Jared Pabilona, double bass
2014–15
Sterling Elliott, cello (Sphinx)
2015–16
Grace Huh, violin; Sofie Ledor, violin;
Chili Ekman, violin
2016–17
Yesenia Espinello, flute; Caleb Chen, violin;
Wyeth Minami, viola
2017–18
Rin Homma, piano;
Juan-Miguel Hernandez, viola (Sphinx)
2018–19
Catalyst Quartet (Sphinx)
San Francisco Opera Center: Adler Fellows
Natalie Image, soprano
Isaiah Bell, tenor
Kevin Gino, tenor
Alex Rosen, bass
2019–20
Amaryn Olmeda, violin
2020–21
Hannah White, violin (Sphinx)
Audrey Vardanega, piano
2021–22
Hilda Huang, piano (return engagement)
2022-23
Amaryn Olmeda, violin (return engagement)