Alumni of the Leeds Song Young Artist Programme

Zheng Jiang, countertenor
Yihan Zhao, piano
Works by Purcell, Marx, Liszt, Schumann and Hahn.

Mariana Rodrigues, soprano
Andrew Cowie, piano
Works by Fogg, Greenhill, Vianna da Motta, Hensel, Barbara, Betjeman and Belloc.

The Leeds Song Young Artists Programme supports 20 emerging singers and pianists each year through intensive training, masterclasses and coaching. Rooted in our annual Festival, it plays a vital role in the UK’s classical music pipeline, strengthening the skills and professional readiness of early‑career musicians. We are delighted to welcome back two duos from our 2026 Young Artist programme to give this special recital, as part of the prestigious Leeds International Concert Season.

Chinese countertenor Zheng Jiang is rapidly emerging on the operatic and concert stage with recent highlights including débuts with The Mozartists, The Grange and Salzburg Festivals, and as a finalist in the Kathleen Ferrier Awards. Pianist Yihan Zhao, winner of the RCM’s Chappell Medal, recently made their Wigmore Hall début and continues to build a distinctive profile as both pianist and harpsichordist.

Mariana Rodrigues, praised by The Times for her “crystalline beauty,” is a RAM graduate whose recent highlights include débuts at the Royal Albert Hall, the Sagrada Familia and the Palau de la Música Catalana. Pianist Andrew Cowie, a RCM postgraduate, has performed at major international venues from Buckingham Palace to the Salzburger Dom, and recently appeared at the Royal Albert Hall, the London Handel Festival and with the Aurora Orchestra.