The finalists for The Music Trust’s 2022 Freedman Classical Fellowship have been announced. They are harpist Emily Granger and violists Henry Justo and Katie Yap.

Established in 2001, the Freedman Classical Fellowship is open to Australian classical musicians aged 35 and under and carries a $21,000 prize. The prestigious Fellowship has previously been won by highly regarded musicians including Genevieve Lacey, William Barton, Joseph Tawadros, Claire Edwardes and Eugene Ughetti, with Victorian violinist Kyla Matsuura-Miller securing the prize in 2021.

The finalists for the 2022 Freedman Classical Fellowship: Henry Justo, Emily Granger and Katie Yap. Photos supplied

The 2022 finalists were selected from 16 entrants, after being proposed by leading classical musicians from around the country.

This year’s judging panel includes Professor Kim Cunio (Head of ANU School of Music), Kirsty McCahon (Australia’s leading practitioner of Historical Performance Practice, Contra Bass) and Dr Stephen Mould (Senior Lecturer at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Artistic Director of the Conservatorium Opera).

In a combined statement, the judges said: “The finalists selected are a wonderful reflection of the depth and diversity of music making in Australia today. Never before has Australian...