Herbert von Karajan
Young Conductors Award

Striving for the highest musical standards was a founding tenet of the Salzburg Festival, which means that the greatest conductors and most important artists of each generation have always been drawn to Salzburg. Herbert von Karajan, whose name graces this award, was one of them; Manfred Honeck, the chairman of the jury, is another.

The conductors who put themselves forward for the Salzburg Festival’s prestigious Young Conductors Award are among the most exciting talents of their generation. After emerging as the winner from a field of 320 candidates, Korean born Hankyeol Yoon took home the 2023 title. The prizewinning conductor traditionally receives an invitation to prepare an Award Winner‘s Concert together with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. Alongside the world premiere of one of his own compositions, Hankyeol Yoon has programmed Tchaikovsky’s ‘Pathétique’ Symphony and Bruch’s Violin Concerto. The soloist for the latter will be María Dueñas, who makes her Festival debut. 

A glance at the history of the competition shows that the Young Conductors Award offers an exciting opportunity to encounter the top conductors of tomorrow. One reason to keep an eye on Hankyeol Yoon is the trend for past winners to regularly return to the Salzburg Festival, with Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla and Maxime Pascal appearing in 2024. 

An initiative of the Salzburg Festival in cooperation with the Eliette and Herbert von Karajan Institute.

Applications for the next edition of the competition should open in autumn 2024.