BBC Young Musician 2024, the long-running biennial competition that celebrates the UK’s most promising classical music performers, is to be broadcast on BBC television and iPlayer over six consecutive Sundays, starting this month. The programmes will be introduced by saxophonist and broadcaster Jess Gillam.
When is BBC Young Musician on TV this year?
On Sunday 15 and Sunday 22 September, highlights from the live audition rounds will be broadcast on BBC 4 and iPlayer. These will be followed by the Quarter Finals on 29 September and 6 October. The Semi Final takes place on 13 October.
The Grand Final, taking place at Bristol Beacon on 24 September, will be broadcast on Sunday 20 October on BBC Two and iPlayer. This special programme will include highlights of the concerto performances. The full concert programme, meanwhile, will air on BBC Four and iPlayer on the same date.
BBC Radio 3 and BBC Sounds will feature highlights of the Quarter Finals and Semi Final on ‘Classical Live’ from Monday 30 September. The Grand Final will be broadcast in full on Sunday 20 October.
How has BBC Young Musician’s audition process changed in 2024?
This year the way that performers audition for Young Musician has changed ‘to make the competition easier to enter’. The aim is to increase accessibility and encourage sustainability without compromising musical excellence.
Performers aged 18 and under have been invited to submit a 10-minute video, scored and ranked by expert judges. From the initial cohort of 300 entrants, 50 have progressed to live auditions held at BBC Central Square in Cardiff – two from each of eight geographical areas, with a further 34 selected by the judging panel.
The traditional category finals are replaced by two Quarter Finals featuring 12 musicians, and a Semi Final with six places available, all held at The Great Hall, Swansea University.
In the Grand Final, held at Bristol Beacon, three finalists will each perform a full concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. At the end of the evening, one will be named BBC Young Musician 2024.
Judging this year’s competition are: trumpeter Alison Balsom, pianist and composer Alexis Ffrench, and multi-instrumentalist and broadcaster Hannah Catherine Jones .
The most ‘accessible, sustainable and democratic’ competition yet
‘I am delighted to have BBC Young Musician making a welcome return to BBC Two,’ said Suzy Klein, head of BBC Arts and Classical Music TV. ‘Since 1978 Young Musician has offered a platform to the brightest and best of this country’s young classical performers. This year we’ve changed how easy it is for people to enter making it the most accessible, sustainable and democratic competition we’ve staged so far. Shining a light on different geographical regions allows us to showcase the best young classical talent from across the UK. I can’t wait to see the results.’
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.