Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) raises more than £100,000 in only three weeks to support the next generation of world-class artists having lost all concert engagements and income due to COVID-19 crisis.

The COVID-19 crisis brings the music world to a halt, wiping clean the diaries of the next generation of world-class classical artists, leaving them in a vulnerable position.

We used our own reserves and launched a Hardship Fund to nurture the next generation of artists through the crisis, making up for lost opportunities and experiences.

Our generous donors showed great solidarity with an astonishing response to the Hardship Fund. The initial target of £5,000 reached in 48 hours, over £100,000 raised in the following three weeks.

Endorsing YCAT’s efforts, the world-acclaimed bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel says:

“YCAT provides tremendous practical support to many great young artists at times of crisis and at the best of times. The success of this hardship fund underlines exactly why YCAT exists.” 

In response, our artists joined together as a family from all over the world to perform Schubert’s ‘An Die Musik’ (‘To Music’) in an unexpected way, expressing their gratitude and sharing what music means to them in a video: 

Lord Burns, Chairman of YCAT says:

“The extraordinary young artists we support rely entirely upon our work to ensure they have income, which is why we are doing everything we can to support them when they need us most. The greatest loss at this time for musicians is the performance and learning opportunities that have disappeared overnight. In just three weeks, £100,000 has been donated by those who care about these talented young artists as much as we do. The generosity of our family of supporters has been truly heart-warming. Every single donation will make a tremendous difference to each and every artist, so thank you!”