The YST Young Composers Academy (YCA) takes place each year from January through March. The aim of the academy is to inspire a new generation of composers in Singapore by supporting talented, young musicians at the Secondary and JC levels with university-level mentoring. Up to 10 young composers ages 15-21 are selected.

The YCA provides a course on important contemporary compositional approaches, an introduction to modern instrumental techniques, as well as mentoring sessions on participant compositions under development. The academy is taught by instructors from YST and culminates in a concert featuring participant works. This year’s YCA featured performances by the ensembles OpusNovus and Wu Xian. OpusNovus is the Conservatory’s contemporary music ensemble. Wu Xian is a Singapore-based new music ensemble, and many of its members are coaches for contemporary music at YST.

In YCA 2018, there were eight participants who came from seven different schools. They were Adele Teng (Tanjong Katong Girls’ School), Erika Poh (Raffles Institution), Ho Yong Jin (Catholic High School), Joan Tan (Eunoia Junior College), Marcus Ong (Temasek Junior College), Rachel Leia Devadason (School of the Arts Singapore), Shivanuja Ramkumar (School of the Arts Singapore), and Toh Yan Ee (Anglo Chinese Junior College).