Applications Open for the Olga & Jules Craen Foundation's Young Musician of the Year Award 2027
After a hiatus of two years, it is with great pleasure that The Olga & Jules Craen Foundation invites young musicians from anywhere in India to apply for its Young Musician of the Year 2027 award.
The OJCF is pleased to convey that the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) has extended its cooperation to the Foundation by offering the use of its infrastructure at the Little Theatre. The NCPA shall also award a stipend to the Incoming Laureates to support their music studies and also give them the opportunity to perform with its internationally renowned SOI Chamber Orchestra. The Foundation would like to express the hope that this extremely promising platform will encourage young musicians, who aspire to a high standard of musical performance, to apply.
The Foundation was established to honour the memory of two formidable twentieth-century musicians who left a lasting legacy on the Western classical music scene in Mumbai. Olga Craen, pianist and teacher par excellence, taught several generations of students, producing teachers and performers of distinction both in India and abroad. Jules Craen, a violin teacher and Founder-Conductor of the Bombay Symphony Orchestra, was closely associated with Mumbai's orchestral scene. The Foundation aims to highlight their achievements, bring them back into public focus, and create awareness among today's young musicians and music lovers of the couple's immense contribution to music in India for almost half a century.
THE AWARD
The Olga and Jules Craen Foundation's Young Musician of the Year (YMOY) Award for Western Classical Music, open to instrumentalists and vocalists, is offered annually to an Indian citizen or an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder resident in India. The Laureate is nurtured over a one-year period while continuing lessons with his or her own teacher, receiving scholarships for advanced training with visiting musicians and internationally respected teachers based in India, together with financial assistance to attend masterclasses, festivals and workshops in India and abroad.
Tanay Joshi, pianist and the inaugural Laureate (2013), attended a three-week summer programme at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow.
Meagan Alphonso, pianist and YMOY 2014, attended the Summer Academy in Nice and undertook individual lessons with Shani Diluka in Paris. While in Nice, she discovered a passion for the harp, subsequently pursuing the instrument professionally. Today she performs nationally and internationally and has founded Harp India and her own school of music.
Shirish Malhotra, flautist and YMOY 2015, chose to pursue one-to-one tuition with internationally renowned flautists, including a former Principal Flautist of the London Symphony Orchestra. A talented woodwind doubler, Shirish performs internationally and also at concerts with the Symphony Orchestra of India.
Apurva Devarajan, pianist and YMOY 2016, attended the Festival Musique des Alpes in Tignes, France, and Chetham's International Summer Programme in Manchester, in addition to undertaking private lessons with Shani Diluka in Paris.
Subin Sebastian Mathai, countertenor and YMOY 2017, attended the SienAgosto programme at the Siena Art Institute in Siena, Italy, an intensive residential summer academy exclusively for singers and continuo players led by the renowned countertenor Michael Chance. Through masterclasses and private lessons, the programme focuses on vocal communication, expressive interpretation and classical repertoire.
Kabir Dabholkar, classical guitarist and YMOY 2018, attended the MusicAlps Festival in Tignes, France, where he studied with Judicaël Perroy and received additional instruction from François-Xavier Dangremont and Natalia Lipnitskaya. He later attended the Asia International Guitar Festival in Bangkok, participating in a masterclass with distinguished Argentine guitarist Roberto Aussel, before continuing his studies with Jérémy Peret and Florian Larousse in Paris.
In 2019, two exceptional young musicians were selected. Anuvrat Choudhary, pianist, attended Finchcocks School of Music in the United Kingdom and subsequently completed a Master's degree in Music at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. R. Samyuktha, violinist, attended the International Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland before completing a Master's degree at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London. She now performs with leading UK orchestras, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Ulster Orchestra, while also leading her own ensemble, Trio Meissa. In April 2026, she performed at the Royal Albert Hall, London, as part of A. R. Rahman's Rangreza concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Udit Gupta, classical guitarist and YMOY 2020, had his plans for overseas study disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, he continued his artistic development through masterclasses with internationally renowned guitarists, including David Russell, Pavel Steidl and Raphaella Smits, further refining his musical interpretation and performance skills.
Syed Fateen Ahmed, pianist and YMOY 2023, the youngest Laureate to date, attended Chetham's International Summer School in Manchester in August 2023. This formative experience inspired him to embrace an increasingly demanding repertoire with renewed confidence and artistic maturity. His artistic development has since been reflected in a series of notable performances, including Grieg's Piano Concerto with musicians of the NCPA Chamber Orchestra as part of the Olga & Jules Craen Foundation's 10th anniversary concert, YMOYs in Concert, and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the South Asian Symphony Orchestra.
Neil Sajnani, pianist and YMOY 2024, attended the Summer Piano Academy at Desantis in Switzerland. He studied with Professor Sergei Edelmann of the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp and performed in three concerts at Disentis Abbey.
Following their overseas study, Laureates are also given opportunities to perform at schools of music and concert platforms across India. At the conclusion of the guardianship period, each Laureate presents a full-length recital of 60 to 75 minutes at the NCPA, during which the succeeding Young Musician of the Year is announced. Presented annually, the award continues to recognise, nurture and celebrate India's finest emerging talent in Western classical music.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
- A high level of competence equivalent to Grade 8 (TCL, ABRSM or LCM)
- Indian passport holder including a Person of Indian Origin (PIOs) with residence in India for at least 8 months in the past year
- Aged not more than 25 on 1st June 2026 (relaxed to age 27 in the case of vocals). There will be no lower age-limit, provided, if selected, the minor understands that if s/he needs to be accompanied, his/her guardian will have to bear his or her own expenses for travel, boarding and lodging.
- The Foundation reserves its right to select merit-worthy candidates to help attain its objectives.
HOW TO APPLY - BY 15th September, 2026:
Please submit the following documents via email to ymoyapp@olgajulescraen.com:
- A detailed C.V. of the applicant including his/her work in the field of music
- A biography of the applicant with a recent photograph (artist picture, not passport)
- A statement of purpose, roughly 500 words, highlighting the applicant’s philosophy and ambition indicating how the Award will help achieve his/her goals
- A scanned image of the first and last pages (data pages) of the applicant’s passport
Mandatory: An online link to a recent video of the applicant performing some (if not all) of the music s/he will play before the International jury in November 2026.
Selected applicants will be informed by mid-October 2026 to attend auditions end-November/early December in Mumbai. Note: All accompanists get reserved early for November examinations. Selected applicants must make their own arrangements for accompanists, their travel to and accommodation in, Mumbai.
The repertoire for this performance is completely free choice. The selection process will entail a 40-45 minute programme for a jury of 3 or more persons. The Laureate will be announced the next day and will perform briefly for 10 minutes as the Incoming Laureate at the NCPA in January, 2027. S/he will give a full-length recital at the NCPA in Mumbai at the end of his/her guardianship in January/February 2028.
All applicants are advised to consult with their teachers and parents when preparing to apply.
Queries may be emailed to ymoyapp@olgajulescraen.com
The Foundation looks forward to receiving your application.
