Performance Today names four students for 2026 Young Artist in Residency Series
ST. PAUL, Minn., Feb. 24, 2026 – YourClassical’s Performance Today, America’s most popular classical music radio show, announces the four distinguished young musicians who have been selected as part of Performance Today Young Artists in Residence program. Each year, Performance Today works with the top music conservatories from around the country to identify their most promising talent to take part in the program.
This year’s cohort of young musicians hail from around the country and will have the opportunity to interview and perform for nationwide radio broadcast with Performance Today host Valerie Kahler. The musicians will also participate in outreach to elementary and middle-school students in Minnesota.
“Like many Performance Today listeners, I have loved getting to know these young artists through their conversations and performances. It’s been a delight to connect with the future stars of classical music, and a thrill to follow their careers,” said Valerie Kahler, host of Performance Today. “This year’s young artists are incredibly talented and represent some of the best young musicians in the United States. I look forward to sharing their talents on Performance Today!”
Short bios from each young artist can be found below.
Claudia de Lourdes Díaz, soprano – San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Claudia de Lourdes Díaz, soprano from Puerto Rico, recently earned a Performance Certificate in Voice Performance and Master of Music in 2024 from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. In March 2025, Díaz won first place in the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition and was one of the Colorado-Wyoming District Winners of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.
In 2025, she made her symphonic debut with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Carlos Miguel Prieto. In the spring of 2025, she made her role debut as Suor Angelica in Puccini’s Suor Angelica with the Lamont Opera Theater.
In fall of 2025, Díaz commenced an Artist Diploma in Opera Studies at the prestigious San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she prepares for the 2026 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competitions in the San Franisco District and for her role debut of Magda Civry from Puccini’s La Rondine with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Opera Theater.
Elad Navon, clarinet – The Colburn School
Israeli clarinetist Elad Navon is a recent First Prize winner of the ARD International Clarinet Competition in Munich, where he achieved a rare distinction by winning all three top prizes.
In 2026, Elad will be performing with the Collegium Musicum Basel, as well as at the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, Spannungen and the ARD chamber festivals in Germany. As an orchestral musician, Navon has performed with many of Israel’s leading ensembles, including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Haifa Symphony Orchestra, Israel Contemporary Players, and the Young Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Navon is currently pursuing the Artist Diploma at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles under Prof. Yehuda Gilad. After studying with Ilya Shwarts in Jerusalem, Elad earned his B.M. at the Buchmann–Mehta School of Music in the class of Tibi Cziger, and a M.M. at the University of Southern California with Prof. Gilad.
Clayton Stephenson, piano – New England Conservatory of Music
Growing up in New York City, American pianist Clayton Stephenson started piano lessons at age 7, and the next year was accepted into The Julliard School’s Music Advancement Program—a full scholarship program for disadvantaged students.
Highlights of his 2025-26 season include a performance of the Brahms Concerto # 2 with the Cincinnati Orchestra, performances of Gershwin’s Concerto in F with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Saratoga Arts Festival, Festival Internazionale Palermo (Italy), Boston Pops and Sarasota Orchestra. Clayton finishes his season in spring 2026 on tour with the Stuttgart Philharmonic in Italy.
Clayton Stephenson graduated from the Harvard-New England Conservatory (NEC) dual degree program in spring 2023 with a BA in economics from Harvard and a Masters degree in piano performance from NEC under Wha Kyung Byun. In addition to being the first Black finalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2022, he has been a recipient of a 2024 Avery Fisher Career Grant, won the inaugural Nina Simone Piano Competition in 2024 and received a Sphinx Medal of Excellence in 2025.
Sean Tereda Yang, piano – Shepherd School of Music at Rice University
Sean Terada Yang is a half-Japanese, half-Chinese pianist born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee.
After making his concerto debut at age 16 with Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 3 with the Germantown Symphony Orchestra, Sean has performed with the Tennessee All-State, Nashville Symphony, Vanderbilt University, Chautauqua Symphony, and Chautauqua Music Festival Orchestras.
Sean has won top prizes at multiple international competitions; in the past two years, he has received top prizes at the National Federation of Music Clubs, Seattle International, Frances Walton, Memphis International, Chautauqua SAI Concerto, and Beardsley Piano Competitions.
After receiving an undergraduate degree in neuroscience and piano from Vanderbilt University with Amy Dorfman, Sean earned two master's degrees at the University of Michigan in Piano Performance and Chamber Music with Logan Skelton and Amy I-Lin Cheng. Sean is now pursuing his DMA at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music with Jon Kimura Parker.
Learn more about Performance Today Young Artists in Residence program and listen to past Young Artists performances at yourclassical.org.
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