[2] His mother was a librarian, and his father, of Cherokee descent, was an amateur pianist and inventor.
He was also a consultant to the first Scriabin International Piano Competition in Moscow in 1995, where a special prize was awarded in his name.
[13] In 1992 he performed Nietzsche's music in Russia, thus ending a nearly 75-year ban of the philosopher's work.
[citation needed] Young built a reputation for playing the works of rarely performed composers.
[17] Young was a critic for a number of newspapers and magazines, including the St. Petersburg Times,[18] the American Record Guide, the Brattleboro Reformer, Music and Vision, Clavier, Piano, and Opera News.