Tengyue (TY) Zhang and Strauss Shi of The Bestfriends Duo win 2023 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition

USC Thornton DMA candidate in Classical Guitar Tengyue (Ty) Zhang and Strings program alumnus Strauss Shi (MM ’19) were announced as winners in the 2023 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition. The award has earned them joint international representation by the Concert Artists Guild and Young Classical Artists Trust, performances at Merkin Hall in New York and Wigmore Hall in London, participation in Citizen Musician Bootcamp, and more professional opportunities.

Known as The Bestfriends Duo, Zhang and Shi are “redefining the 21st century violin-guitar art form, presenting a new chamber music that is mixed-genre, multi-culture and cross-era.” In addition to the duo’s recent debut at the Omni Foundation for the Performing Arts, their 2022-2023 season includes upcoming performances at the Festival Cultural Zacatecas (Mexico), Austin Chamber Music Festival and Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts.