The Atlanta Festival Academy (AFA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing young talent through world-class education, performance opportunities, and cultural exchange. Since our founding in 2019, we’ve connected aspiring musicians with the mentorship and inspiration of globally renowned artists.
Our Founding Story
Inspiring the Next Generation of Musicians
The Atlanta Festival Academy was founded in 2019 through a unique international collaboration among organizations spanning three continents and four countries. From its inception, AFA was envisioned as a platform for global artistic exchange, bringing together diverse musical traditions and pedagogical approaches.
This international foundation continues to shape AFA’s global outlook and educational mission today.
Following its inaugural year in 2019, featuring violinist Chloe Chua shortly after she won the joint Gold Prize in the 2018 Menuhin Competition Junior Division, AFA rapidly grew into a full-fledged 2-week Summer Festival composed of intensive chamber and orchestral training and featuring celebrated soloists and artist-faculty.
In recent years, AFA added multiple year-round youth-ensembles for elite young musicians in the Atlanta area as well as an international Young Artists Competition in 2025.
AFA attracts musicians from all over the world, offering the highest-level of classical music training opportunities located in the heart of North Fulton.
The educators, leaders, and champions who believe in what we're building.
AFA is proud to work alongside an advisory committee of dedicated educators, artists, and community leaders who share our commitment to exceptional music education. Their guidance, advocacy, and belief in our students help carry our mission far beyond any one program.
Arthur Holst, Chair
Michelle Au
Nilendra Chanda
Ping Chen
Henry Cheng
Soo Choi
Clay Hales
Anna Huthmaker
Jeff Jiang
Nancy Jiang
Xiaoxia Jiang
Bo Na
Fan Wang
Governance
Organizational Information
The Atlanta Festival Academy is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
