NCO talent shines in BBC competition
27 April 2010
Former NCO members make up more than half of the finalists in this year’s BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. Of the 25 young musicians who have reached the Category Finals, 13 have progressed through the ranks of the NCO.
This is a great testament to the quality of the NCO training and the inspiration of our tutors, who are drawn from major national orchestras and specialist music schools from around the country. The NCO has a long history of cultivating young talent and is no stranger to the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. Past NCO successes have included Guy Johnston and Nicola Benedetti, who won the award in 2000 and 2004 respectively.
The 25 who have made it to the Category Finals in 2010 are:
Brass Category (aired on 16 April)
| Sam Moffitt, Trumpet, 17 | NCO member 2005 |
| Finlay Bain, French Horn, 18 | |
| Anna Douglass, French Horn, 18 | NCO member 2002-05 CATEGORY WINNER |
| Alex Hamilton, French Horn, 17 | NCO member 2005-07 |
| Tom Berry, Trombone, 18 | NCO member 2004 |
String Category (aired on 23 April)
| Katy Smith, Violin, 17 | |
| Callum Smart, Violin, 13 | NCO member 2004-07 CATEGORY WINNER |
| John Hewitt-Jones, Viola, 17 | |
| Glain Dafydd, Harp, 17 | NCO member 2005 |
| Anne Denholm, Harp, 18 | NCO member 2003-05 |
Keyboard Category (to be aired on 30 April)
| Frederic Bager, Piano, 18 | |
| Sophie Dee, Piano, 16 | NCO member 2006 |
| Yuanfan Yang, Piano, 13 | |
| Lara Ömeroğlu, Piano, 15 | |
| Seán Rooney, Piano, 16 |
Woodwind Category (to be aired on 7 May)
| Emma Halnan, Flute, 17 | |
| Chloé Greenwood, Oboe, 17 | NCO member 2002-04 |
| Lavinia Redman, Oboe, 15 | NCO member 2005-09 |
| Joe Norris, Clarinet, 17 | |
| Ben Westlake, Clarinet, 17 | NCO member 2005 |
Percussion Category (to be aired on 14 May)
| Hui Wai Nok, 18 | |
| Lucy Landymore, 17 | NCO member 2006 |
| James Larter, 15 | |
| Oliver Pooley, 17 | |
| Delia Stevens, 18 | NCO member 2004-05 |
The winners of the five Category Finals will enter the semi-final, due to be aired on 15 May, where five hopefuls will become three.
The Final of the competition will take place in the Donald Gordon Theatre, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, on Sunday 16 May. The three finalists will perform a concerto of their own choice with the BBC National Orchestra Of Wales under the baton of Vasily Petrenko, Chief Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Conductor of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. They will be competing for the coveted title of BBC Young Musician 2010 and a £2,000 cash prize.
For the latest news, history of the competition and to see previous performances, visit www.bbc.co.uk/youngmusicians.
