WQXR, New York’s classical music radio station announced its 2023 roster of Artist Propulsion Lab (APL) participants.

The APL is the station’s innovative program designed for classical musicians to support the creation of original work and connections with new audiences. Artists must be nominated by members of the music field. This year over 100 artists were nominated. A team of producers, hosts, and project managers reviewed the entries and made the final selections.

The five new artists, cellist Zlatomir Fung, mezzo-soprano Briana Hunter, violinist Alexi Kenney, violinist and composer Curtis Stewart, and composer, vocalist, and saxophonist Shelley Washington will be given the space and resources to create new work and to share their diverse perspectives and projects through performances and multiple media outlets.

“The APL is an expression of WQXR’s commitment to connecting the artists who are reimagining classical music to our audience and the larger performing arts community in NYC,” said WQXR Chief Content Officer and Senior Vice President Ed Yim in a press release. He continues, “With our digital platforms and live event venue, The Greene Space, we’re able to provide these important voices with the support they need to create adventurous work and take full advantage of our multiplatform capabilities to connect with new audiences. The 2023 artists share our mission of making classical music relevant to the next generation of listeners, and we are all inspired by the energy they bring to the genre.”

Mezzo-soprano Kara Dugan, a 2021 participant of APL expresses her faith in the program by saying, “A highlight of my time with APL was commissioning and performing ‘In A New York Minute: Miniatures for Voice and Piano,’ a new work that spotlights women’s voices and perspectives. This piece explores our shared human experience in bite-sized songs that can be shared on the concert stage and on social media. Making classical music accessible and relevant to the next generation is so important, and I am grateful that the APL gave me a platform to do just that.”