The Salzburg Festival has announced the three finalists for the Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award 2023.

Chaired by Manfred Honeck, Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the jury chose eight candidates (two female, six male) in February as semi-finalists for the eleventh edition of the renowned competition, which takes place every two years. This year, there were 323 applications from 54 nations.

Following the semi-finals in which the eight conductors rehearsed works by Arnold Schoenberg, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Franz Schubert, the jury decided that Vitali Alekseenok, Tobias Wögerer, and Hankyeol Yoon would be invited to the Award Concert Weekend as finalists.

The YCA Award Concert Weekend will be held in August during the 2023 Salzburg Festival.

The three candidates will conduct one concert each, lasting approximately one hour at the Main Auditorium of the Mozarteum Foundation. Tobias Wögerer will perform on August 4 while Vitali Alekseenok will conduct on August 5. Finally, Hankyeol Yoon will conduct on August 6.

After the last of the three concerts, the jury will present the Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award to the winner in a public award ceremony.