Ammy Lin wins the $20,000 Karin Larson YourClassical Prize

The votes are in, and we’ve tallied them up! We are excited to announce that the winner of the first Karin Larson YourClassical Prize is Ammy Lin!

You chose Ammy’s prize entry honoring female dizi (Chinese bamboo flute) performers and her teacher Gao Hong as the submission that best celebrated women in classical music.

As the winner of the Karin Larson YourClassical Prize, Ammy will receive $20,000, studio time in MPR’s renowned Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio and the opportunity to perform at an MPR board meeting in June.

"I just want to thank everyone for your support ...,” Ammy said. “I hope everyone had as much fun listening to it as I had playing it!"

Congratulations, Ammy!

Thank you to everyone who submitted entries for the Karin Larson YourClassical Prize and voted on the finalists who were chosen.

Listen to Ammy’s interview with YourClassical MPR host John Birge above, and enjoy her winning entry below:

AMMY LIN
Dizi (Chinese bamboo flute)
Baxter, Minnesota

How does your video celebrate women in classical music? “Until the past few decades, it was rare to have a female dizi (bamboo flute) performer. With the gradual change in societal perceptions of gender roles, an increasing number of women have begun to dive into the world of traditional music, although male dizi performers are still the majority. In other words, changing the perception of males having more expertise, being more physically capable and technically advanced for playing the dizi is still an ongoing struggle; however, I've always felt supported by my female teacher, Gao Hong, over the past year that I've been learning this instrument and look up to her for her expertise and dedication to uplifting other female voices. As such, being able to perform this piece with her is an immense honor and testament to the growing strength of female voices in the music community.”

What would winning this prize mean to you? “Winning this prize would mean so much to me along so many different levels. I started learning the dizi to become more in touch with my Chinese roots, and in the process, I've discovered many other aspects of myself. For instance, I was scared of performing and making my voice heard, always trying to blend into the background and conform to the model minority, female stereotypes placed upon me. Watching and having the honor to play with my teacher has motivated me to chase my dreams not only in music but in other aspects of my life. Winning this would be a moment of pride not just for myself but for everyone who has supported and believed in me along the way. It would be a dream realized, inspiring me to continue striving for excellence and pushing boundaries in everything I do.”