A program for professional and early career string players
January 4 – 11, 2026
Arnaud Sussmann, Director & Violin
Edward Arron, Guest Co-Director & Cello
Stay updated on Rising Artists program news and application deadlines
Program Details
The Rising Artists Program of the Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach provides intensive performance, career, and education/community engagement development opportunities for exceptionally talented emerging professional and conservatory-level musicians. The program embraces a collaborative environment where rising artists create and learn with established leaders and musicians who have made a significant impact in the chamber music field.
Program Dates
January 4 – 11, 2026
Application Deadline
September 15, 2025
Acceptance Decisions
October 13, 2025
Eligibility
Artists age 20 – 30 years old
Location
Palm Beach, Florida
Stipend
$1,500 + Housing, Meals, & Travel Provided
Instruments
Violin, Viola, and Cello
Application Fee
$25 by August 25
$45 from August 26 – September 15, 2025
Artist-Mentors
Arnaud Sussmann
Director & Violin
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Winner of a 2009 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Arnaud Sussmann has distinguished himself with his unique sound, bravura, and profound musicianship. Minnesota’s Pioneer Press writes, “Sussmann has an old-school sound reminiscent of vintage recordings by Jascha Heifetz or Fritz Kreisler, a rare combination of sweet and smooth that can hypnotize a listener.”
Mr. Sussmann has recently appeared as a soloist with the Mariinsky Orchestra under Valery Gergiev, and the Vancouver, and New World Symphonies. As a chamber musician, he has performed at the Tel Aviv Museum, London’s Wigmore Hall, Lincoln Center, and the White Nights Festival in Saint Petersburg. He has also given concerts at the Caramoor, Music@Menlo, La Jolla SummerFest, Mainly Mozart, and Seattle Chamber Music festivals, collaborating with many of today’s leading artists including Itzhak Perlman, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Wu Han, David Finckel, and Jan Vogler.
Sussmann is Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach, Co-Director of Music@Menlo’s International Program, and teaches at Stony Brook University. Mr. Sussmann plays the 1731 ‘Schneeberger’ Stradivarius violin on loan from a private owner.
Edward Arron
Guest Co-Director & Cello
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A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Arron made his New York recital debut in 2000 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since that time, he has appeared in recitals, as a soloist with major orchestras, and as a chamber musician, throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.
The 2024-25 season marks Mr. Arron’s 12th season as the co-artistic director with his wife, Jeewon Park, of the Performing Artists in Residence series at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Mr. Arron tours and records as a member of the renowned Ehnes String Quartet and he is a regular performer at the Boston and Seattle Chamber Music Societies, the Brooklyn Chamber Music Society, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Bargemusic, Caramoor, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival, Seoul Spring Festival in Korea, Music in the Vineyards Festival, Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, Manchester Music Festival, and the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in Finland.
Mr. Arron’s performances are frequently broadcast on American Public Media’s Performance Today. In 2021, Mr. Arron’s recording of Beethoven’s Complete Works for Cello and Piano with pianist Jeewon Park was released on the Aeolian Classics Record Label. The recording received the Samuel Sanders Collaborative Artists Award from the Classical Recording Foundation. A graduate of the Juilliard School, Mr. Arron currently serves on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Outstanding Rising Artists alumni enjoy future performance opportunities as part of CMSPB main season concerts in Palm Beach and at our partner venue, the Boscobel Chamber Music Festival in New York.
The Rising Artists Program offers a unique platform for musicians in the early stages of their careers to collaborate with and perform alongside world-renowned artist-mentors during an immersive week of rehearsals and performances.
Audition Requirements
Video Requirements
- Solo: 1st movement of a Major Sonata or Concerto (accompaniment preferred)
- Chamber: Two (2) contrasting movements from one or more major chamber music works (can be from the same work)
Guidelines
- Recording of you playing in an ensemble
- String trios or larger ensembles preferred
- Sonatas with piano will not be accepted for chamber music requirement
- Performances of full works are also welcome
2026 Rising Artists Sample Schedule
Date
Schedule
Sunday, 1/4/26
Rising Artists Arrival
Monday, 1/5/26 –
Sunday, 1/11/26
10 am – 1 pm: Rehearsals or Outreach Performance
1 pm – 2:30 pm: Lunch and Conversations on Career Topics
2:30 pm – 6:30 pm: Rehearsals
7:30 pm: Evening activities (Donor Dinner, attend a Concert or Music Event, Private House Concert, or Rising Artists Program Concert)
Sunday, 1/11/26
Rising Artists Departure evening of Sunday, 1/11 OR morning of Monday 1/12
Rising Artists Program Alumni
Angela Chan
Violin
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Praised for her sensitivity and incredible tone, Hong Kong born Chinese violinist Angela Chan has found success both as a soloist and a chamber musician. She is the winner of 2024 Hannover Joseph Joachim Violin Competition and recipient of the prize for the best interpretation of commissioned work, first prize and winner of the best interpretation of concerto prize in the 2017 Louis Spohr Violin Competition, and laureate of the Singapore International Violin Competition and Shanghai Issac Stern International Competition.
Matthew Hakkarainen
Violin
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Recently appointed Associate Concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Matthew Hakkarainen is the first American violinist to win first prize at the Premio Rodolfo Lipizer International Violin Competition, where he also received three special prizes. He attended the Curtis Institute of Music (BM ‘22) and the Juilliard School (MM ‘24), studying with Pamela Frank, Sylvia Rosenberg, and Ronald Copes. Matthew is currently a 2024-25 Rebanks Family Fellow at the Glenn Gould School in Toronto, where he works closely with Barry Shiffman.
Brian Isaacs
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American violist Brian Isaacs is based in Berlin as a member of the Karajan-Akademie der Berliner Philharmoniker, where he is mentored by Sebastian Krunnies. He studies simultaneously with Tabea Zimmermann as a student in the Konzertexamen program of HfMDK Frankfurt.
Brian has received awards and prizes from institutions such as the Verbier Festival Academy, Yale University, Frank Huntington Beebe Fund, and international competitions including Grunewald, Nedbal, and Rubinstein.
Sara Scanlon
Cello
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Known for captivating audiences with her passionate performances and musical artistry, cellist Sara Scanlon, age twenty-four, is quickly becoming a sought-after talent in the world of classical music. Sara made her solo debut, performing the Elgar Concerto with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. She has been a featured soloist on NPR’s nationally broadcasted program “From The Top” and was the principal cellist for the Emmy Award-winning “Night of Georgia Music” on PBS.
FAQs
What is the Rising Artists Program about?
The Rising Artists program of the Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach is very much inspired by Caramoor’s Rising Stars, a program that made a meaningful impact in our lives as young artists. Musicians of different generations come together, sharing their love and joy for playing chamber music. This collaborative spirit is at the heart of the program, creating a dynamic learning environment where young musicians can gain invaluable insights and inspiration from their experienced colleagues, and vice-versa!
– Edward Arron and Arnaud Sussmann
Eligibility
Preprofessional and early career string players (violin, viola, cello); ages 20-30 years old
When is my application due?
The application deadline is by 11:59 pm on Monday, September 15, 2025
When will application decisions be sent?
Application decisions will be sent by Monday, October 13, 2025
Fees
$25 application fee until August 25 (11:59 PM ET)
$45 from August 26 through September 15 (11:59 PM ET)
Do I need recommendation letters?
No letters are needed. Provide contact information (email address & phone number) for two (2) professional references.
Audition repertoire
- Does my Sonata/Concerto selection need to be accompanied or unaccompanied?
Accompaniment is preferred but not required. - Does my chamber repertoire need to be solo or playing in an ensemble?
Please submit recordings of you playing in an ensemble. - I don’t have a trio or larger work. Can I submit a string duo? e.g. Kodaly Duo for Violin & Cello
Yes, a string duo is acceptable if you do not have a trio or larger work available. - Can I submit entire works?
Yes, you can submit recordings of entire works.
How do I submit my application and audition videos?
The video submission procedures will be available once the application opens.
Can I apply if I am an international student?
International students currently studying in the US can apply, but will need to apply for a work permit from your educational institution.
Program Repertoire
TBD: 2026 Rising Artists Program repertoire often includes a string trio, a string quartet, and a string sextet
Examples of Career Conversation topics to be covered.
- Starting an organization
- Donor relations
- Education and Community Engagement programming
Stipends
Applicants chosen for the Rising Artists Program will receive a $1,500 stipend (USD).
Transportation
- Flights: CMSPB will cover round trip domestic economy flights
- seats for cellos will be covered
- CMSPB will provide all local ground transportation
Housing
Rising Artists will have rental home accommodations or hosted home stays.
Meals
All meals will be provided by CMSPB (home meals and restaurants)
