MusicFest Northwest is happy to announce the 2025 Young Artist Gold Medal Winners! These extraordinary student musicians demonstrated exceptional artistry, discipline, and dedication during this year’s festival, earning the highest recognition in their respective divisions.

As part of their award, each Young Artist will have the incredible honor of performing their winning repertoire with the Spokane Symphony on:

Friday, October 10, 2025
7:30 PM
Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox

Young Artist winner Jessie Morozov (Strings, Violin) is performing her violin concerto at the Comstock Park Concert with the Spokane Symphony on:

Monday, September 1 , 2025
7:00 PM
Comstock Park

This annual collaboration between MusicFest Northwest and the Spokane Symphony represents the heart of our mission: to support and celebrate young artists as they take the stage with professional musicians in one of the region’s most iconic venues.

Meet the Winners

JESSIE MOROZOV, STRINGS (VIOLIN)

Born in 2009 in Spokane, Jessie Morozov began piano lessons at age five and took up the violin a year later, studying with Tana Bachman-Bland. Jessie currently studies with Mateusz Wolski and has also worked with Seattle violinists Jan Coleman, Simon James, and Noah Geller. Jessie spent eight years learning and growing as a performer first in the Spokane Youth Symphony, then the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra. During this time, she also received several awards from MusicFest Northwest and was a finalist in the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival. She joined the Spokane Symphony as its newest member in March of 2025. In addition to classical music, Jessie is an accomplished jazz musician and a member of the acoustic jazz quintet The Hot Club of Coeur d'Alene. The group has released an album, toured the Northwest, and received accolades from the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. Outside of music, Jessie enjoys mathematics, software development, cooking, and fitness. 

JAMES FLAGG, PIANO

A sophomore at the University of Idaho, James Flagg studies piano performance with Dr. Roger McVey while pursuing a second major in mathematics.  His musical interests include the lyricism of dactylic hexameter and the hook of comic opera.  When he’s not playing piano, proving theorems, or producing pop songs, James enjoys walks with his family in the beautiful Palouse.

JORDAN SLAUGHTER, FLUTE

I grew up in Boise Idaho. When I was in middle school, I fell in love with the flute. In high school, I had the privilege of taking part in many musical opportunities throughout Boise, such as the Boise Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. I also had a wonderful private teacher, Amanda Barro, who taught me for many years. I would not be here without her. After high school, I knew I wanted to pursue a degree in music performance to advance my goals of being an orchestral flutist and running a private studio. I found WSU to be a great place to pursue my education, and that is where I study now with Dr. Sophia Tegart, who is another incredible teacher that I owe so much to. I am thrilled to be making my orchestral solo debut with the Spokane Symphony. 

CARTER MITCHELL, BRASS (EUPHONIUM)

My name is Carter Mitchell, and I am a third-year undergraduate pursuing a double major in music performance and applied mathematics at Washington State University. By studying music performance, I learn about how to use the euphonium to serve and entertain my community. By studying applied mathematics, I investigate the field of operations research to make effective decisions while optimizing real-world systems. Together, music and math lead me on a journey rooted in creativity, curiosity, and collaboration. Beyond academics, I enjoy the WSU Cougar Marching Band, hiking, working out, and all sorts of sci-fi movies, video games, and books. After college, I aspire to find a balance of work between music and math, and to one day hold a professional euphonium position. 

GRAHAM LIN, VOICE (BARITONE)

Graham Lin, baritone, is a Chicagoland native and a recent graduate of Oberlin Conservatory, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance in 2024. This fall, he will begin his Master's Degree studies at New England Conservatory. Graham has performed in Oberlin Conservatory's productions of Rossini's L'occasione fa il ladro (Martino), Handel's Acis and Galatea (Townsperson), Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring (Sid), and most recently Massenet's Cendrillon (Pandolfe). Passionate about both performance and arts administration, Graham works year-round as a freelance singer and administrator, engaging with a wide range of vocal repertoire and collaborative projects. He currently serves as House Manager for the Cleveland Chamber Choir. During his summers, Graham often participates in several different music festivals such Classic Lyric Arts, Bel Canto in Tuscany, and Prague Summer Nights, where he both performs and has also taken on various administrative roles.

KEENAN EDWARDS, REEDS (BASSOON)

I am currently a fourth year student at the University of Idaho. I started my musical journey at the age of 11 when it came time for my school’s band program to begin. I chose the bassoon because I loved the way that it sounded goofy and unique, which reflects well on my personality. I love showing an audience the bassoon’s capabilities and proving it can fill a room with a sound that they might not expect. I aim to become a professor of bassoon or start my own private studio. I would also love to play in an orchestra and do studio recordings. I plan to continue to graduate school and eventually obtain my doctorate.

CONOR WALLER , COMPOSITION

Conor Waller is a 22 year-old composer living in Spokane Washington and has been making music for eight years. He graduated from Whitworth University in 2025 with a Bachelors of Art, music composition focus and was a student of Brent Edstrom. He grew up playing a lot of video games and those soundtracks influenced him a lot and have become inspiration for Conor’s music compositions. He expanded his musicianship during his undergraduate studies and enjoyed having several of his works premiered during those years. Conor is planning on having his pieces available to purchase through a website and hopes to earn commissions in the future.

About the Young Artist Program
The MusicFest Northwest Young Artist Award is given each year to standout performers in our classical divisions. Recipients are selected through adjudicated live performance and are chosen based on both technical excellence and expressive musicality. Each year's recipients embody the promise and passion of the next generation of musicians. 

We are proud to support these young artists and grateful to the Spokane Symphony for making this performance opportunity possible.

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Follow us on social media and share your congratulations using #MFNWYoungArtists.

With your support, we continue creating pathways for young musicians to thrive on and off the stage.