BBC young musician 2016

Contents
Welcome
Auditions & Performance Rounds

page 2
pages 3-4

Regional Auditions
Category Auditions
Category Finals
Semi-Final
BBC Young Musician 2016 Final

Explanatory Notes

pages 5-7

Entry Form

pages 8-9

2014 Winner's Story

Follow us
@BBCYoungMus
facebook.com/bbcyoungmusician

page 10

Welcome
Welcome to BBC Young Musician 2016
The search for the next BBC Young Musician starts
here and will reach its conclusion on 15th May 2016,
when three finalists will perform full concertos with a
professional symphony orchestra. Once again, BBC
Young Musician will be broadcast on BBC Four with
complementary coverage on Radio 3, and were delighted
to announce that the BBC Young Musician Jazz Award
will also return this year with applications open from the
summer of 2015.
At the 2014 final at Usher Hall in Edinburgh, Martin
James Bartlett took the title with his performance of
Rachmaninovs Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, with
the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kirill
Karabits. Fellow finalists Sophie Westbrooke (recorder)
and Elliott Gaston-Ross (percussion) also shone in
BBC Young Musician 2014,
repertoire by Gordon Jacob and David Heath. According to
Martin, BBC Young Musician offers wonderful performance Martin James Bartlett
opportunities, a chance to improve with the adjudicators valuable advice and a huge amount of
enjoyment and fun along the way. It was a great journey and I have learnt so much! Turn to the
back of this brochure for more about Martins experience of BBC Young Musician and how his
life has changed since he won the title.
Its clear from just a glance at a list of BBC Young Musician alumni that this has always been a
competition that can launch a seriously impressive career. Thomas Ads, Alison Balsom, Nicola
Benedetti, Natalie Clein, Michael Collins, Colin Currie, Nicholas Daniel, Benjamin Grosvenor,
Stephen Hough, Freddy Kempf, Jennifer Pike and Paul Watkins all competed here. It wont be
easy: more than 450 musicians entered in 2014 and the winner will need to excel at five different
rounds over several months. But everyone has the chance to be heard at an audition and
can receive feedback from a panel of judges. For us, its wonderful to hear so much inspiring
music-making, all around the country. We look forward to welcoming a new group of talented
performers as we start our search for BBC Young Musician 2016. Good luck!

Young Musician 2014 category winners: (l-r) William Dutton (violin), Martin
James Bartlett (piano), Sophie Westbrooke (recorder), Matilda Lloyd
(trumpet), Elliott Gaston-Ross (percussion)

Auditions &
Performance Rounds
Regional Auditions
September - October 2015
All eligible entrants will be invited to perform
at the Regional Auditions which will take place
at venues around the UK, including Cardiff,
Manchester, Newcastle Gateshead, Glasgow and
London.
Dates for each region and individual categories to be
confirmed.

You may choose your own programme which

should not exceed 10 minutes, including tuning
breaks and breaks between movements. Your
time starts when the first note of your programme
is played. If you exceed this time limit you may be
stopped by the BBC representative.
A piano will be provided for pianists and
accompanists: no other instrument will be
provided as an accompanying instrument.
You must provide your own accompanist
(if relevant) at your own expense.
Page turners will not be provided
please arrange your own if required.
You will need to provide 3 copies of all the
music you are going to play for the adjudicators.
Photocopies are acceptable.
The Regional Auditions will be closed to the public
and recorded for reference and possible broadcast.
You will be notified of the results of the Regional
Auditions by email on or before Monday 26 October
2015.

Category Auditions
November -December 2015
Dates for individual categories to be confirmed.

The Category Auditions will take place at the

Birmingham Conservatoire.
Approximately 125 successful entrants from the
Regional Auditions will be invited to compete at
the Category Auditions.
You may choose your own programme which

should not exceed 12 minutes, including tuning

breaks and breaks between movements. Your
time starts when the first note of your programme
is played. If you exceed this time limit you may be
stopped by the BBC representative.
A piano will be provided for pianists and
accompanists: no other instrument will be
provided as an accompanying instrument.
You may play one piece (or movement) that you
played in the Regional Auditions i.e. you can only
repeat one piece or movement from your earlier
round. You may also perform another movement
from the same work.
You must provide your own accompanist
(if relevant) at your own expense.
Page turners will not be provided
please arrange your own if required.
You will need to provide 3 copies of all the
music you are going to play for the adjudicators.
Photocopies are acceptable.
The Category Auditions will be closed to the public
and recorded for reference and possible broadcast.
Five performers per category will be selected to
go through to the Category Finals.
You will be notified of the results of the Category
Auditions by email on or before Monday 14
December 2015.

Category Finals
6-10 March 2016
6 March
7 March
8 March
9 March
10 March

Keyboard Category Final

Woodwind Category Final
Percussion Category Final
Brass Category Final
Strings Category Final

The Category Finals will take place at the Dora

Stoutzker Hall, Royal Welsh College of Music
and Drama, Cardiff.
Five performers per category will perform in
front of a panel of adjudicators and an audience.
The Category Finals will be recorded for
broadcast on BBC Four and/or other media.

Keyboard Piano, Organ, Harpsichord, Piano Accordion, Button Accordion

Percussion Tuned and non-tuned percussion
Strings Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp, Mandolin, Classical Guitar

For brass, keyboard, percussion, string and woodwind players

aged 18 or under on 1 January 2016.

You may choose your own programme which

should not exceed 16 minutes, excluding tuning
breaks and breaks between movements. Your
time starts when the first note of your programme
is played.
A piano will be provided for the keyboard final
and for accompanists: no other instrument will
be provided as an accompanying instrument.
Pianists must play the piano provided, which will
be a Steinway or equivalent.
You may play one piece (or movement) that you
played in the Regional or Category Auditions i.e.
you can only repeat one piece or movement from
your earlier rounds. You may also perform another
movement from the same work.
You may continue to use your own accompanist
or request an official BBC accompanist.
Page turners will not be provided
please arrange your own if required.
Each category winner will receive 1,000, a
specially-commissioned trophy and a place in the
BBC Young Musician Semi-Final. Results will be
announced on the night.

Semi-Final
13 March 2016
The Semi-Final will take place at the Dora
Stoutzker Hall, Royal Welsh College of Music
and Drama, Cardiff.
The five category winners will perform in front
of a panel of adjudicators and an audience.
The Semi-Final will be recorded for broadcast
on BBC Four and/or other media.
You may perform the same programme as
the Category Final OR should you wish, you
may change some or all of the pieces in your
programme. Please note that there is no
obligation to change your programme for the
Semi-Final and performers who repeat their
repertoire from the Category Final will not be
disadvantaged in the scoring.
The programme should not exceed 16 minutes,
excluding tuning breaks and breaks between

movements. Your time starts when the first note

of your programme is played.
A piano will be provided for accompanists:
no other instrument will be provided as an
accompanying instrument. Pianists must play
the piano provided, which will be a Steinway or
equivalent.
You may continue to use your own accompanist
or an official BBC accompanist.
Page turners will not be provided
please arrange your own if required.
Three performers will be selected to go through to
the BBC Young Musician 2016 Final. Results will
be announced on the night.

BBC Young Musician Final

15 May 2016
The Final will take place on 15 May 2016 in front
of a panel of adjudicators and an audience.
The Final will be broadcast on BBC FOUR and/or
other media.
You will play a concerto of your choice (or
work for solo instrument and orchestra) with a
professional symphony orchestra. This work must
be no less than 15 minutes duration and must not
exceed 30 minutes there will be no exceptions
to this rule. The performance order will be
decided by the BBC.
The winner will be awarded the title of BBC Young
Musician 2016, a prize of 3,000 and a speciallycommissioned trophy.
Each Finalist will also receive the support of a two
year aftercare scheme paid for by the BBC and
run by the Young Classical Artist Trust (YCAT).

The Walter Todds Bursary

In memory of the late Walter Todds, founder of
BBC Young Musician, a total bursary of 1,000
will be allocated at the discretion of the BBC
to the performer or performers who show great
promise but do not reach the Final.

Brass French Horn, Trumpet, Cornet, Tenor Horn, Baritone, Euphonium, Trombone, Tuba
Woodwind Flute, Oboe, Cor Anglais, Clarinet, Saxophone, Bassoon, Recorder, Harmonica

Explanatory Notes
Eligibility
You may enter for any of the instrument classes as long as the following three categories are satisfied:
Qualification You should have achieved Grade 8 standard (see Entry Form for further details)
Age You should be 18 or under on 1 January, 2016.
Residency You must be a resident of the United Kingdom (including the Channel Isles and Isle of Man) at the time
of entry and for the duration of the competition (until May 2016).
We are unable to accept entries from anyone closely related to a BBC staff member or anyone involved in the competition.
You must provide a copy of your birth certificate or passport with your application form along with a copy
of your Grade 8 or diploma certificate or an accreditation from your teacher.
(The copy of your birth certificate or passport will be destroyed once your entry has been validated.)
Entrants may also be asked to provide proof of UK residency.
Entrants aged under 18 will require the signed consent of their parent or guardian (see Entry Form).
All eligible entrants who have not reached the statutory school-leaving age will be required to be licensed (in accordance
with the Children and Young Persons Act) by the BBC before they can be filmed for broadcast. Any entrant requiring
a licence who cannot be licensed for any reason will not be able to take part.
Any entrant who the BBC (in its absolute discretion) considers too young, badly behaved, unable to cope with the demands
of the competition or otherwise unsuitable to take part in BBC Young Musician 2016 will not be able to compete.
Please note that you must play an instrument which has a concerto or other orchestral work written for it.
The BBC will only use your personal details for the purposes of administering BBC Young Musician 2016, and will
not publish them or provide them to anyone not connected with this event without your permission. If the BBC is
required to pass your details to any third party for the purposes of administering BBC Young Musician 2016, the BBC
will require that they only use your details strictly for these purposes. If you would like to know more about the BBCs
Privacy & Cookies Policy, please go to bbc.co.uk/privacy

Entry requirements and multiple entries

If you wish to enter BBC Young Musician 2016, please complete the entry form and send or email with accompanying
documents to the address on the form.
Remember to include:
Entry form
Copy of birth certificate or passport
Either a copy of Grade 8 certificate or copy of a Performers Diploma or signed accreditation from a professional teacher
Repertoire choices for Regional and Category Auditions
Multiple entries - if you wish to play different instruments from the same family (e.g. descant and treble recorders; B flat,
D trumpets and flugelhorn) you may enter these on a single application form. However, if you wish to enter on instruments
of different characters (e.g. flute and oboe; piano and organ) you must submit separate entry forms for each one.
Please note that the judges decision on all matters is final.
The BBC will not enter into any correspondence, either verbal or written about results.
Written reports on performances will be available from the BBC Young Musician office on request.

Expenses
You will be reimbursed for any reasonable travel expenses (i.e. standard rail fare or equivalent) on production of a
receipt/invoice. If you are aged 16 or under we will also pay expenses for one adult to chaperone you. This could be
your accompanist. We are unable to reimburse travel expenses if you are travelling from outside the UK.

Instruments
Apart from keyboard players and percussionists, you must provide your own instrument. Any amplification equipment
required for your programme will also need to be supplied by you. If you choose to provide your own percussion
instruments this will be at your own expense. A piano will be provided for accompanists. If you require any other
instrument for an accompanist this will be provided at your own expense. You may bring up to two accompanists.
Pianists must play the piano provided, which will be a Steinway or equivalent.
Percussionists - you should include tuned and non-tuned percussion in your programmes. You may bring up to
two accompanists (e.g. piano and double bass) at your own expense but percussion must be the dominant solo
instrument. The BBC will provide a range of professional percussion instruments for performers at each stage;
however, percussionists may provide their own instruments which they must transport at their own expense.

Interviews and television cameras

Television cameras will be present to record the Category Auditions, Category Finals, Semi-Final and Final of BBC
Young Musician 2016 for broadcast. You may be contacted by the BBC and interviewed at any stage. This interview
and your performances may be recorded for possible use on radio, television and/or other media.

Music
You can play from memory or from music at any stage.
It is recommended that performers include some variety of style and period in their choice of music.
Failure to do so will not be penalised, but a well-selected programme will be taken into account by the adjudicators
in the case of a tie.
All details of music for the Regional and Category Auditions should be filled in on the entry form, including the
publisher and duration of each work.
You may play one piece (or movement) that you played at the Regional or Category Auditions, if you are selected.
You may also perform another movement from the same work.
You will be allowed to change your mind on the choice of music as long as the BBC Young Musician office has been
informed by the following dates:
Regional Auditions 11 September, 2015
Category Auditions 13 November, 2015
At the Regional and Category Auditions you must provide 3 copies of all the music you are going to play for the
adjudicators. Photocopies are acceptable.
If selected for the Category Finals, you must send your programme details to the BBC Young Musician office by 22
January 2016. You may play one piece (or movement) that you played in the Regional or Category Auditions i.e. you
can only repeat one piece or movement from your earlier rounds. You may also perform another movement from the
same work. You must also notify the BBC by 22 January of your choice of concerto (or work for solo instrument and
orchestra) to be performed at the BBC Young Musician Final, should you be selected.
If selected for the Semi-Final you may perform the same programme as the Category Final OR should you wish,
you may change some or all of the pieces in your programme. Please note that there is no obligation to change
your programme for the Semi-Final and performers who repeat their repertoire from the Category Final will not be
disadvantaged in the scoring.
Those who reach the Final of BBC Young Musician 2016 should note that they will be playing with a professional
orchestra. As rehearsal time is limited the BBC will be strict about the duration of your chosen concerto (or work for
solo instrument and orchestra) which must be no less than 15 minutes duration and must not exceed 30 minutes.
The order of performance will be decided by the BBC at every performing stage.

Explanatory Notes
In the event of an entrant being unable to take part in any judging stage for any reason including illness, licensing
issues or other eventuality then the BBC reserves the right to substitute an alternative entrant.

Performers' accompanists
For the Regional and Category Auditions you must provide your own accompanist at your own expense.
For the Category Finals and Semi-Final you will be asked if you would like an official BBC accompanist although you
may continue to use your own. If you require any further accompanists for your programme, this will be at your own
expense. You may use up to two accompanists.
Page turners will not be provided by the BBC at any stage please arrange your own if required.

Time limits
Regional Auditions
Category Auditions
Category Final
Semi-Final
Final

10 minutes
12 minutes
16 minutes
16 minutes
15-30 minutes

When timing your programme please allow for gaps between movements and for tuning at the Regional and Category
Auditions. For example, your 10 minute programme might only contain 8-9 minutes of music. Your time starts when the
first note of your programme is played. You may be stopped by the BBC representative if you exceed the time limit. In
the event of a tie between performers, if any have exceeded the time limit, this may be taken into account when deciding
who goes through to the next stage. At the Category Final, Semi-Final and Final the time limit excludes gaps between
movements and tuning.

Website information
The BBC Young Musician 2016 website is at bbc.co.uk/youngmusician where you can download the entry form. You
can also request an entry brochure by emailing us at young.musician@bbc.co.uk
You will need to post your entry form and accompanying documents to BBC Young Musician 2016, Cardiff, CF5 2YQ
or scan and email them to young.musician@bbc.co.uk by 31 July 2015. We recommend that you obtain proof
of posting.
After sending your application form to us you will receive acknowledgement of its safe arrival by email. If you do not
receive this within 14 days you should contact us on 02920 323900.

Young Classical Artist Trust

The BBC has arranged an aftercare scheme for the three performers who reach the Final. It is with the Young Classical
Artist Trust (YCAT), a charitable organisation which provides expert advice and guidance on career development to
outstanding young musicians at the outset of their professional careers. From this organisation the finalists receive
advice on concert engagements, repertoire, fee negotiations and other matters. The first two years of this service are
paid for by the BBC.

Entry Form

Please attach
passport photo
here

Please fill in this entry form using the Explanatory Notes.

The completed form and relevant ocumentation should be sent with proof of posting to
BBC Young Musician 2016, Cardiff, CF5 2YQ or scanned and emailed to young.musician@bbc.co.uk
by 31 July, 2015. Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS & attach a passport size photo.

I would like to enter BBC Young Musician 2016. I have read the guidelines and agree to abide by the conditions.
Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Surname . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Male

Female

please tick

Date of birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nationality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Home address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Postcode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Telephone + STD code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mobile no . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Name of parent/ legal guardian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Name of School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
School address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Name of Headteacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Name of Head of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Name of Local Education Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If you are away from home during term-time please provide this address below:
Term-time address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Telephone + STD code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Name(s) of weekend music school/college (if any) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Interests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
................................................................................................
Where did you hear about BBC Young Musician 2016?
Please write your choice of repertoire for the Regional Auditions in the table below (10 minutes max)
Composer

Name of Work inc. movements and opus nos.

Publisher

Duration

Please write your choice of repertoire for the Category Auditions in the table below (12 minutes max)
Composer

Name of Work inc. movements and opus nos.

Publisher

Duration

Entry Form
BBC Broadcast Terms and Conditions
I hereby consent to the filming of my participation in BBC Young Musician
2016, the nature and content of which has been fully explained to me.
In particular I acknowledge that adjudicators comments, both positive and
negative will be recorded and may be included in any BBC output.
I hereby assign the complete copyright in my contribution and give
all consents as may be required under the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988 (as amended) and grant to the BBC any and all rights
necessary to enable the BBC to make the fullest use of its recordings
without restriction in any and all media throughout the world for the
duration of such rights. In particular I hereby grant to the BBC the
unlimited right to edit, copy, alter, add to, take from, adapt or translate
my contributions hereunder and in relation to such contributions
hereby waive irrevocably all moral rights which I have now or in
the future, including without limitation any rights under section 77 to
85 inclusive of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or any
similar law of any jurisdiction.
The BBC may without further consent use my name, likeness,
biography, photographs of me and recordings of interviews with me
in promoting and publicising the Programme(s) in all media formats
worldwide.
The BBC reserves the right to alter, amend or cancel the selection process
and/or the programme at its absolute discretion. It is under no obligation to
make or broadcast ay programme containing my Contributions. The BBC
reserves the right to repeat any programmes made on any of the BBCs
services.
I warrant that I have truthfully and accurately completed the programme

Application Form and acknowledge and agree that the BBC may in its sole
discretion disqualify any applicant from any part of the selection process or
the programme itself and that it may disqualify me if I have breached this or
any other rule, term or condition. I understand that if I reach the later stages
of the competition I may be contacted and asked for further information
about myself, including a background check.
I agree at the request of the BBC to take part in publicity events in
connection with BBC Young Musician 2016.
The BBC shall not be liable to me or my legal representative for any loss or
damage or injury to me or my property caused or suffered in connection
with the BBCs making of the Programme(s) unless caused by the
negligence of the BBC and recoverable on that ground.
I agree that my contribution shall not contain anything which is an
infringement of copyright or which is calculated to bring the BBC into
disrepute or which is defamatory provided however that the BBC shall not
be entitled to bring claim against me in respect of any defamatory material
that was included in my contribution without negligence or malice on my
part.
The Courts of England and Wales shall have sole jurisdiction in relation
to this declaration which shall be interpreted to the laws of England and
Wales.
The BBC will only use your personal details for the purpose of administering
BBC Young Musician 2016 and will not publish them or provide them to
anyone not connected with this event without your permission. If the
BBC is required to pass your details to any third party for the purposes of
administering this event, the BBC will require that they only use your details
strictly for these purposes. If you would like to know more about the BBCs
Privacy & Cookies Policy, please go to: bbc.co.uk/privacy

You can find the BBCs Child Protection Policy and information about the BBCs guidelines for working with children and young people at
bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/howwework/policiesandguidelines/child_protection.html

I agree to take part in BBC Young Musician 2016 and to abide by its rules. As a condition of entry, I hereby consent to the
recording of my contribution and performance subject to the Broadcast Terms and Conditions above.

I enclose a copy of my birth certificate to prove my age

I enclose one of the following (please tick the appropriate box):

a photocopy of a certificate to show that I have gained Grade 8 from a recognised School of Music
a photocopy of a Performers Diploma
a signed accreditation from a professional teacher of my instrument below

I certify that . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (entrants name) has reached Grade 8 standard.

Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teachers phone no. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .
Signature ______________________________________________________________________________

I wish to enter at the venue nearest to my home / term-time* address *delete as appropriate

Whilst we will make every effort to accommodate entrants at the venue closest to them, we regret that this will not always be possible. Entrants
will be informed of the date, time and venue for their audition during August.

Countersigned ___________________________________________________________ (parent or guardian of entrants aged under 18)

Please check that you have completed your form accurately and return it with accompanying documents to:
BBC Young Musician 2016, Cardiff, CF5 2YQ or scan and email to young.musician@bbc.co.uk by 31 July, 2015.

Signed ________________________________________________________________________________ (entrant)

2014 Winner's Story

Martin James Bartlett (piano)
Martin reached the Category Final in 2012, so he
knew what to expect when he entered BBC Young
Musician 2014. He came back, he says, to grow
and develop not only as a pianist but as a musician.
And to have the opportunity to perform for worldclass musicians. Making it to the Final, and
performing Rachmaninovs Rhapsody on a Theme
of Paganini with the BBC Scottish Symphony
Orchestra and Kirill Karabits was a whole other
experience. The most nerve-wracking moment was
standing backstage with Kirill, looking into a packed
Usher Hall, knowing that in a few moments I would
be performing to a panel of distinguished judges
and the BBC Four and Radio 3 audiences. When I
walked back off stage, I had no recollection of what
I had just done. I was concentrating so hard and
totally immersed in the music.

Presenter Clemency Burton-Hill congratulates

Martin on becoming BBC Young Musician 2014

Nothing has been quite the same for Martin since that extraordinary night in Edinburgh. I
have had so many wonderful experiences and opportunities since winning. I was one of 27
international artists, alongside Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Nicola Benedetti, to be chosen
to record the new version of the Beach Boys song God Only Knows produced by BBC Music.
In 2014 I performed at BBC Proms in the Park and this year I will be at the Royal Albert Hall,
playing in a Prom with Eric Whitacre and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. I have performed
concertos at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Cadogan Hall, St Johns Smith Square and Kings Place
and made my debut with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Ill also be performing with
the BBC Concert Orchestra at the opening night of this years Cheltenham Music Festival.
According to Martin, BBC Young Musician is an experience worth having, with or without the
prize money, the contract with YCAT and the big career boost that the winner enjoys. It has
been the most wonderful experience of my life. The overwhelming feeling among the other
competitors was of comradeship and support, and there were so many exciting, enjoyable
moments that I will never forget - I had many
laughs and a lot of fun. BBC Young Musician
has helped me to mature as a musician,
expand my musical horizons and has inspired
me to work harder and achieve my dreams.
And his advice for those taking part in 2016?
The music is the most important thing so just
go out there and give the best performance
you can. Regardless of the result it is a
totally life-changing experience. Enjoy every
moment!
Martin will return to BBC Young Musician in
2016 to perform at the Final on 15th May.

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BBC YOUNG MUSICIAN 2016, Cardiff, CF5 2YQ

bbc.co.uk/youngmusician