Three contestants, two works, one winner. This was the story of the BBC Young Musician 2024 Final, which saw pianist Ryan Wang lift the coveted trophy following a thrilling performance of Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto.
Wang’s rendition was the second outing for the Rachmaninov at a sparkling evening at Bristol Beacon, as it was also played by fellow finalist Jacky Zhang. In between them, Shlomi Shahaf’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto completed an all-Russian line-up.
Who is Ryan Wang?
For the 17-year-old Ryan Wang, the sixth pianist to win BBC Young Musician in the competition’s 46-year history, the triumph caps a remarkable couple of years.
Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, but currently at school in the UK, he has also enjoyed recent wins in the Jeune Chopin International Piano Competition in Switzerland, Cleveland International Piano Competition and 2024 Prix du Piano Bern, among various others.
Already something of a veteran of the concert stage, he gave his first recital at a mere six years old, is a Young Steinway Artist and last year was the youngest performer named in Classic FM radio’s list of 30 rising stars under the age of 30.
How had the Young Musician format changed from previous years?
Previous BBC Young Musician Finals featured one performer each from the keyboard, wind, brass, strings and percussion qualifiers, and the appearance of not one but two pianists in this year’s Final came as a result of a new competition format, with early qualifying rounds based on region rather than instrument type.
This year’s contest began in April, with 50 musicians from eight regions across the UK being invited to take part in live auditions in Cardiff, from which 12 made it through to the Quarter Finals. From there, it was a case of doing things by halves, with six qualifying for the Semi Finals and then three for September’s Final.
Who was on the jury this year?
The finalists were joined in Bristol by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and conductor Ben Gernon. Assessing their performances, meanwhile, was a jury of trumpeter Alison Balsom, pianist and composer Alexis Ffrench and multi-instrumentalist Hannah Catherine Jones.
How can I watch BBC Young Musician 2024?
To watch or listen to this year’s contest, including the Quarter Finals, Semi Final and Final, head to iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
Who are the past winners of BBC Young Musician?
Previous Young Musician winners and alumni include Sheku Kanneh-Mason (2016), saxophonist Jess Gillam (2016), violinist Nicola Benedetti (2004), pianist Benjamin Grosvenor (2004), cellist Laura van der Heijden (2012) and pianist Martin James Bartlett (2014).
The 2022 BBC Young Musician winner was percussionist Jordan Ashman.