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Applications are under review!
Cedille Records has proudly nurtured the careers and legacies of Chicago’s talented classical music performers and composers since 1989. Now, with immense excitement, we turn our focus to the future. Sponsored by the Zell Family Foundation, our second Emerging Artist Competition is a thrilling opportunity to elevate the next generation of exceptional talent.
The competition winner will have the incredible opportunity to record their featured debut album with Cedille Records — a huge step forward in any artist’s career! The first competition’s winner was saxophonist Julian Velasco. Cedille released his debut album, As We Are, in August 2022 to glowing reviews. The Chicago Tribune called it “a bird’s-eye view of Velasco’s range, both as an infectiously joyous interpreter of new music and a monster improviser.” Velasco expressed his gratitude, saying:
“There is such an incredible force behind the record label that really believes in artists in a way that is authentic [and] also so impactful. The reach alone and the community of people that support Cedille — yeah. I mean, it just doesn’t get better than that.”
We’re excited to continue our legacy of supporting and showcasing brilliant emerging artists right here in Chicago. Our esteemed panel is carefully evaluating the 23 applications received. The competition’s
live rounds will take place May 17–18, 2025, in the Feinberg Theater at the Spertus Institute (610 S. Michigan Ave). The finals on May 18th will be open to the public, so plan to come see Chicago’s future stars of classical music!
Recommended
Haymarket Opera Company presents early-18th-century master Leonardo Vinci’s rare operatic gem, Artaserse (1730). A prominent figure of the Neapolitan School of opera, whose work influenced composers such as Johann Adolph Hasse and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Vinci’s three-act opera seria centers on the Persian prince, Artaserse, who must bring his father’s murderer to justice amidst betrayal, deceit, and mistaken identity.
Cedille Records augments its 2018 release, Notorious RBG in Song, critically proclaimed “an engrossing, episodic portrait” (WQXR) and “vivid and beautiful” (Classics Today) — with a digital single, “On the Joys of Recorded Music,” in anticipation of what would have been Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s 93rd birthday (March 15).
To celebrate our new opera album (3/13 release) Leonardo Vinci: Artaserse (Haymarket Opera Company) we’ve revised/expanded our RBG 90th birthday playlist of her favorite vocal music on Cedille — now starting with albums supported by the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Fund for Vocal Recordings, created in 2022.
Enjoy 25% off Cedille’s Weekly Featured Release.