There seems to be a fascination with young talents — musicians like Bob Dylan have cited the young Parisian poet Arthur Rimbaud as a driving for in their artistic pursuit. Their immortalized youth acting as the appeal.
But young talent in the new era has found it hard to find its footing — although brilliant singers like Jackie Evancho have been able to use platforms like America's Got Talent to break into the music industry.
While the reward for artistic freedom usually comes with a price tag, now the bigwigs, in this case Warner Music Group, have coined a new kind of prize for young and aspiring talents.
The Warner Music Prize, in association with the Blavatnik Family Foundation is a new concept and features a cash prize of $100,000 to be given to, per Inside Philanthropy, a "classical musician aged 18-35 who demonstrates exceptional talent and promise, regardless of any label affiliation."
This award marks a milestone for modern music as it dives right into the world of the arts by the foundation, which is also known for the Blavatnik Awards granted to Young Scientists.
The award will be presented in partnership with Carnegie Hall and will showcase the nominees across its 2014–15 concert season. As far as the performances are concerned, too, they will be scored as auditions and will be judged by a jury of "renowned classical musicians and industry leaders."
Upon receiving the generous grant, the winner will also be offered a recording contract with Warner Classics and will also be showcased at Carnegie's Zankel Hall as part of the Music Prize Gala on October 27.
Check out the 16 youths here and be sure to tune in for the winners next year. As Inside Philanthropy also notes, perhaps the cash prize could be divvied up among the greater measure of the contestants (but it's not our place to say, maybe).
The winner for the prize will be announced in the spring of 2015.
