Harriton High School junior Ethan Hsu has been recognized as a 2026 YoungArts Award Winner with Distinction in Classical Music/Composition, placing him among the nation’s most accomplished young visual, literary and performing artists. This honor is part of the annual YoungArts Awards — the only national program that celebrates exceptional young talent across multiple artistic disciplines and affirms their pursuit of a professional life in the arts.

Selected through a rigorous adjudication process that reviewed nearly 13,000 applications nationwide across 10 artistic fields, YoungArts award winners demonstrate exceptional technique, strong artistry and an extraordinary commitment to developing their craft. Winners become part of a lifelong community of peers and mentors and gain access to resources and opportunities that sustain their artistic growth throughout their careers.

As one of only 171 students nationwide selected as a Winner with Distinction, Ethan has been invited to participate in National YoungArts Week, held January 4–11, 2026, in Miami, Florida. During this immersive, weeklong experience, Ethan will:

• Work closely with acclaimed professional artists
• Collaborate with approximately 170 fellow award winners across nine disciplines
• Participate in interdisciplinary and discipline-specific classes and workshops
• Have opportunities to perform or present his work at the YoungArts Campus and New World Center

As a Winner with Distinction, Ethan is additionally eligible for nomination as a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school seniors, and will also be considered for additional monetary awards of up to $10,000.

Ethan’s achievement places him among an intergenerational network of more than 23,000 distinguished YoungArts alumni, including acclaimed artists, performers and creators. We are proud to celebrate Ethan’s exceptional accomplishment and look forward to seeing his continued artistic growth within the LMSD and YoungArts communities and beyond! Please join us in congratulating Ethan on this remarkable and well-deserved honor!

About YoungArts

Established in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison, YoungArts – the national foundation for the advancement of artists – identifies exceptional young artists, amplifies their potential, and invests in their lifelong creative freedom. YoungArts provides space, funding, mentorship, professional development and community throughout artists’ careers. Entrance into this prestigious organization starts with a highly competitive application for talented artists ages 15–18, or grades 10–12, in the United States that is judged by esteemed discipline-specific panels of artists through a rigorous adjudication process. Learn more at youngarts.org.