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Applications now open for Cedille’s new Emerging Artist Competition
Following the success of Cedille’s inaugural Emerging Artist Competition, completed in 2021 (after an 18-month delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Cedille Records will host its second Emerging Artist Competition in Spring 2025 with the continued generous support of the Zell Family Foundation.
The Emerging Artist Competition is designed to showcase and promote Chicago’s emerging talent and classical music community. The winner will record and release their commercial debut album on Cedille Records, joining an impressive roster of artists that includes soloists such as violinists Jennifer Koh and Rachel Barton Pine and ensembles including the Pacifica Quartet, Lincoln Trio, and Third Coast Percussion.
Saxophonist Julian Velasco, winner of the first Emerging Artist Competition in 2021, reflected on the experience of releasing his debut album:
I couldn’t be more proud to have the opportunity to make this record, and also for it to sound as good as it does. It [feels] weird to say sometimes — as an artist reflecting on the music that I create, but it’s a really beautiful representation of what I value. As an artist about to release their first record to confidently be able to say that — that’s incredible. I’m really, really grateful for the team at Cedille because I could not have done that without Cedille Records.
Artists have long told us that our recordings are invaluable promotional tools. They are opportunities to connect with audiences beyond concert halls and they provide, increasingly, a chance to share more widely the work of diverse performers and composers. With your support, Cedille Records covers the costs associated with recording, production, manufacturing, distribution, and promotion for each of its releases, allowing the musicians to focus on their artistic visions.
Cedille will accept online applications in 2024 from eligible emerging artists: soloists and ensembles raised or currently living in the Chicago area. Up-to-ten semifinalists will be selected to perform live for a panel of judges in spring 2025.
Cedille is eager to seek out, recognize, and celebrate new Chicago-based talent through this initiative and is eternally grateful to the Zell Family Foundation for its support of the next generation of Chicago artists.
Recommended
Winner of Cedille Records’ 2025 Emerging Artist Competition, Chicago-born oboist Oliver Talukder makes his solo recording debut with Briefly Gorgeous. Joined by pianist Moriah Trenk, Talukder presents an album inspired by themes of identity, love, family, and belonging. Drawing on his Mexican and Bengali heritage and his Chicago upbringing, the program explores where classical music intersects with Latino and South Asian traditions, creating a musical portrait shaped by Talukder’s unique story.
Grammy Award-winning violinist Jennifer Koh’s 16th album on Cedille Records, The American Concerto, Volume One, features Vijay Iyer’s Trouble and the world premiere recording of Courtney Bryan‘s Syzygy, performed with the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble conducted by Tim Weiss.
With the new month comes a new featured playlist on Spotify — or, in this case, a refresh of our Artist Debuts on Cedille playlist, originally created in 2022 to celebrate the inaugural album by the first Emerging Artist Competition winner, saxophonist Julian Velasco.
The update is to celebrate oboist Oliver Talukder, winner of Cedille’s second competition, as well as other artists who have made their Cedille debus since 2022. (Oliver’s track will be added on Friday when his album, Briefly Gorgeous, is released.)
Enjoy Cedille’s Weekly Featured Release.