Katsuya Yuasa, a master’s student at The Boston Conservatory has been named the winner of one of the most prestigious musical competitions in the nation—the Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition (YYPA). Yuasa is a clarinetist and one of only nine winners in the competition.
As a result, he went to study at the Music for AllTM Symposium last week, for intensive professional training and the opportunity to perform in front of thousands of people. Yuasa credits his education at The Boston Conservatory for helping push him to achieve this award—the first of many honors he hopes to earn over his future career.
callananklein.com
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Courtney Kennedy
617-431-1173
Boston Conservatory Master’s Student Wins Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition
(BOSTON—July 1, 2014) Katsuya Yuasa, a first year master’s student at The Boston Conservatory, has been named a winner of the prestigious Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition (YYPA). Yuasa, a clarinetist, is one of only nine award winners in the competition.
For his prize, Yuasa attended an awards ceremony at the Music for All™ Summer Symposium June 23–28, where he received intensive professional training and performed in front of thousands of people. He hopes these experiences will help him reach his ultimate goal of becoming an international performing artist.
“My undying wish is to share my love of music around the world,” said Yuasa. “When I first came to the U.S., I could not speak the language, so music became my voice—my savior. It motivated me to stand up and make friends. It changed my life. That power of music is what I want to share with others.”
Yuasa has been studying the clarinet since he was a young boy and made his solo debut at the age of 12 at the Center for the Performing Arts in San Jose, CA. He is now studying for a Master of Music in clarinet performance at The Boston Conservatory, under the tutelage of Michael Norsworthy. The Master of Music program at the Conservatory is focused both on the artist and his or her professional readiness, which is achieved through training specific to each person and instrument. Norsworthy, called one of the most celebrated champions of the modern repertoire, says his work with Yuasa at the Conservatory has been very much focused on helping him discover who he is as an artist and building his confidence to turn opportunities into successes.
“Katsuya came to The Boston Conservatory with a lot of familiarity with many different styles—straight classical, jazz, avant-garde—but he was only ever using one skill set at a time,” said Norsworthy. “As we worked together, we found he was able to bring all of this knowledge to the table to allow for much more flexibility and range in his performances.”
Yuasa credits Norsworthy and others at the Conservatory with encouraging him to enter as prestigious a competition as the YYPA and helping him master the skills he needed to win.
“This is a dream come true,” said Yuasa. “Never in my wildest imagination did I believe I would be holding this golden ticket. I am deeply honored and humbled to receive such once in a lifetime opportunities and thankful to those who helped me achieve this goal.”
About The Boston Conservatory
The Boston Conservatory trains exceptional, young performing artists for careers that enrich and transform the human experience. Known for its intimate and supportive multi-disciplinary environment, The Boston Conservatory offers fully accredited graduate and undergraduate programs in music, dance and musical theater, and presents more than 600 performances each year by students, faculty and guest artists. Since its founding in 1867, The Boston Conservatory has shared its talent and creativity with the city of Boston, the region and the nation, and continues to grow today as a vibrant community of artists and educators. For more information, visit www.bostonconservatory.edu.
