Congratulations to the two winners of our 2025 Karin Larson YourClassical Prize!
Agnes Barthel, an organist from Duluth, Minnesota, is the winner in our Preprofessional Musician category.
Anna Pitsavas Wakely, a violinist from Northfield, Minnesota, is the winner in our Emerging Artist category.
Each of them receives a cash prize, a recording session at MPR and the opportunity to perform for the MPR board of directors. You can see their winning entries below. Thank you to everyone who voted for their favorite performer in this year’s Prize.
Congratulations Agnes and Anna!
Preprofessional Musician: Agnes Barthel
How does your video celebrate women in classical music? “Cecilia McDowall is a contemporary composer whose music brings fresh energy and beauty to the organ repertoire. ‘Church Bells beyond the stars’ showcases her distinctive, lyrical style and captures the shimmering resonance of church bells through flowing, cascading passages. Inspired by a poem by George Herbert, the piece evokes both grandeur and serenity, demonstrating the organ’s ability to create vivid, atmospheric soundscapes. Through works like this, McDowall helps keep the organ vibrant and relevant in the modern classical world; something that is deeply inspirational for young organists like myself. By choosing this piece, I hope to honor her contributions and help bring greater recognition to female composers who have often been overlooked. I also want to help inspire other young musicians, especially young girls, to explore music by women composers, and discover the powerful role we play in shaping the future of classical music.”
What would winning this prize mean to you? “Winning this prize would mean a great deal to me as a young organist who is passionate about this incredible instrument. I am especially committed to promoting music by women composers, and it would be an honor to help bring greater recognition to these works in the organ world, and beyond. Most of all, I think it would be a powerful way to show that the pipe organ is not just a historic or ‘dying’ instrument, but very much alive and full of exciting possibilities for the future. This prize would encourage me to continue learning, performing, and encouraging other young people to explore the organ, as we try to create space for new voices, perspectives, and a new generation of musicians in the current world of classical music.”
Emerging Artist: Anna Pitsavas Wakely
How does your video celebrate women in classical music? “Spanish composer, Pablo de Sarasate, composed ‘Ziguernerweisen’ after becoming acquainted with gypsy ways… their song, their music style, their culture, their dance, and their customs. The female gypsy performers, whose prime instrument was always the violin, tantalized audiences with their passionate storytelling and dynamic lyricism. These underrepresented women, who had experienced much suffering and exile, poured their voices and lives into their performances, captivating composers throughout much of history. ‘Zigeurnerweisen’ celebrates these nationless mothers and daughters whose musical traditions continue to inspire classical music enthusiasts to our present day.”
What would winning this prize mean to you? “As a daughter of first-generation immigrant parents who have been a shining model of strength and beauty, and whose love of music has accompanied me from a very young age, I must say that being considered for such a prize would be but one token of my deepest appreciation for the sacrifices that they have made toward supporting my pursuit of classical music. It would be a tremendous gift that would go toward advancing my current commitments in music as well as my future goals in performance. I have come to find that the highly competitive world of performance can often be accompanied with criticism and skepticism. Earning such an esteemed prize would be a great accomplishment — a real recognition which has the potential to help foster the confidence to keep on playing! ”
Love the music?
Show your support by making a gift to YourClassical.
Each day, we’re here for you with thoughtful streams that set the tone for your day – not to mention the stories and programs that inspire you to new discovery and help you explore the music you love.
YourClassical is available for free, because we are listener-supported public media. Take a moment to make your gift today.
