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.

 

Audrey Vardanega

Nathan Chan

Hilda Huang

Juan-Miguel Hernandez

Amaryn Olmeda

Grace Huh

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)

 

Stephen Waarts

Isabel Lau

Sterling Elliott

Marina Harris

Isaiah Bell

Hannah White