The BBC Has Crowned Its 2024 Young Musician Of The Year
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1 month ago
The results are in
Last night, the BBC crowned the winner of its biennial classical music competition, Young Musician of the Year. Here’s what you need to know.
BBC Young Musician of the Year: 2024’s Semi Finalists Shlomi Sahahf, Ryan Wang, Hugo Svedberg, Maya Broman Crawford-Phillips, Jamaal Kashim, Jacky Zhang. (BBC Studios/Betsan Haf Evans)
Who Won Young Musician Of The Year 2024?
Seventeen-year-old Canadian pianist Ryan Wang won the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year competition last night, beating out two other competitors to win the crown: fellow pianist Jacky Zhang from Surrey and violinist Shlomi Shahaf, born in Israel and raised in Ukraine.
‘This journey has been incredible,’ Ryan says. ‘I still can’t believe this is all happening! I have enjoyed sharing my music with you all so much and I am so grateful for all the support I have received! This competition experience has been so amazing and I have been so fortunate to meet such incredible musicians. I am so excited to continue to share my musical journey with audiences, and hope to see you all in concert someday!’
In the final, enraptured audiences watched as each young musician played a concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales at the Bristol Beacon, conducted by Ben Gernon. While violinist Shlomi opted for Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, both pianists coincidentally chose the same piece to perform: Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto. This is the first time in the competition’s 46-year history that the same work has featured in the final, and in the end Ryan performed the best, with the judges calling him a ‘truly remarkable musician’ and praising his technique and artistry. ‘In the final, it was abundantly clear to all of us that he was creating a kind of magic,’ judge Alison Balsom said.
Held every two years, previous winners of the competition include percussionist Jordan Ashman from Cambridge in 2022, and percussionist Fan Zhang from China in 2021’s delayed 2020 competition.
What’s The Prize?
The winner of the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year competition wins a one-year management contract with the Young Classical Artists Trust, as well as a shiny trophy.
BBC Young Musician of the Year 2024 judges: Alexis Ffrench, Alison Balsom, Hannah Catherine Jones. (BBC Studios/Betsan Haf Evans)
Who Are The Judges?
The 2024 judges were trumpet player Alison Balsom, pianist Alexis Ffrench and multi-instrumentalist and DJ Hannah Catherine Jones. Meanwhile, saxophonist Jess Gillam presented the series, she herself winning the crown in 2016.
Who Can Compete?
The BBC’s Young Musician of the Year competition is open to any musician aged 18 or under who lives or studies in the UK. The 2024 winner, Wang was born in Canada but has been studying for his A Levels on a music scholarship at Eton.
Where Can I Watch Young Musician Of The Year?
Two audition rounds, the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and the final round of Young Musician of the Year are all available to stream now on BBC iPlayer. bbc.co.uk
