The European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO) has announced the artists selected for its 2027-28 ECHO Rising Stars season. As part of the ECHO Rising Stars programme, these artists will perform on the stages of leading concert halls across Europe throughout the 2027-28 concert season. In addition to their concert tours, they will take part in Education, Learning and Participation (ELP) activities, commission a new work by a composer of their choice, and engage in workshops and mentoring opportunities designed to support their artistic and professional growth.
- cellist Laura van der Heijden, nominated by The Glasshouse International Music Centre and Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam
- Laura has a longstanding relationship with Royal Northern Sinfonia, having won BBC Young Musician at The Glasshouse in 2012, performing Walton’s Cello Concerto with the orchestra conducted by Kirill Karabits.
- On 26 July she joins the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Eva Thorarinsdottir for Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major as part of the Ryedale Festival’s gala closing concert
- pianist Junyan Chen, nominated by Barbican Centre, Musikverein Wien and Wiener Konzerthaus
- Junyan was the winner of the inaugural Alexandra Dariescu Award at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2024, recognising outstanding performances of works by female composers
- She is joining Fantasia Orchestra and conductor Tom Featherstonhaugh on 27 June for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 as part of this summer’s Proms at St Jude’s
- Fibonacci Quartet, nominated by Gulbenkian Foundation, Barbican Centre, Musikverein Wien and Kölner Philharmonie
- Formed at the Guildhall School, the quartet were winners at the 2024 Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) International auditions
- the quartet were recently appointed as Grand Résident ensemble at ProQuartet in Paris for seasons 2025-2027. The quartet is also featured at the 2026 St Magnus Festival
- trumpeter Aaron Azunda Akugbo, nominated by Palau de la Música Catalana,
B:Music, Barbican Centre, Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam, The Glasshouse
International Music Centre - in 2020 he made his London debut at the Royal Festival Hall playing Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto with Chineke!
- he was performing in May with Fantasia Orchestra and Steven Osborne, and was at the Dublin International Chamber Music Festival earlier this month
- pianist Elia Cecino, nominated by Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Konzerthaus Dortmund, Megaron – The Athens Concert Hall and Palau de la Musica Catalana
- clarinettist Arthur Stockel, nominated by Philharmonie du Luxembourg, NOSPR Katowice and Konzerthaus Dortmund
%20BPA-9.jpg?w=160&resize=160,160&ssl=1 "From Young Apollo to the Cello Symphony to the Poet's Echo to Phaedra: the range of Britten's composing career explored by Britten Sinfonia at Aldeburgh Festival alongside new works")
