The Gloucestershire Young Musician 2025 Competition is now open.
We hope many young musicians will enter the competition, as it is a great way of developing musical experience, and playing in a friendly format with other young musicians.
The deadline for entries is midnight on Sunday 15 December 2024
Entry Information for 2025
The 2025 Gloucestershire Young Musician Competition is open to entrants aged under 22 years on 1 March 2025.
Applicants may play piano, any string (including harp and guitar), woodwind or brass instrument or orchestral percussion.
First Round
Applicants will be invited to give a 12-minute recital before an adjudicator on Sunday 5 January 2025 at Gloucestershire Academy of Music, Barbican House, Gloucester GL1 2JF. As a result of this stage a maximum of six finalists (or fewer, at the adjudicator’s discretion) will be selected to proceed to the final.
Competition Final
The selected finalists will each give a 15-minute recital before an audience and a panel of adjudicators, on Sunday 9 March 2025 3 pm at Cheltenham College’s Big Classical venue, Cheltenham, GL53 7LD.
Finalists will be offered an individual Masterclass in Performance, in January/February, to help them prepare for their performance in the final.
At the Final, the following prizes will be awarded:
1st Prize
- The Hewitt Jones Award
- A cheque for £500
- Three performances:
i) a concerto performance with Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra
ii) a concerto performance with Gloucestershire Youth Orchestra
iii) a recital at Cheltenham Music Festival in July 2025
Audience Prize
- A cheque for £200 awarded by the Carducci Quartet
- A recital at the Carducci Festival at Highnam in May 2025
The winner of this prize is selected via audience vote on the evening of the final.
All Other Finalists (including the winner of the Audience Prize)
- A cheque for £50
Competition Rules for 2025
Entrance to the competition will form a binding contract between yourself and promoters of the Gloucestershire Young Musician competition. Please read these rules before submitting your entry form.
1. Entrants should be aged under 22 on 1 March 2025.
2. Applicants should have a family home in Gloucestershire (including if away at college/university), or go to school in Gloucestershire, or receive musical tuition at a recognised musical organisation in Gloucestershire.
3. Previous title-holders are not eligible for entry.
4. Candidates should be of at least Grade 8 standard (Associated Board or equivalent) on their chosen instrument.
5. Entry is limited to the following instruments: piano, all brass, all woodwind, all strings (including guitar) and orchestral percussion.
6. Candidates will undertake to provide their own accompanist for all stages of the competition.
7. No expenses can be met by the competition promoters for all stages of the competition. However expenses may be available to the winner for performances associated with the prize.
8. All photographic, recording and broadcast rights shall be assigned to the competition promoters.
9. Entries must be made using the official entry form and be received by midnight on Sunday 15 December 2024.
10. The fee to enter the competition is £35 per entry, payable via BACS transfer once the application has been accepted.
11. Musicians are allowed to enter on more than one instrument.
12. The winner’s concerto performance with Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra will take place on Sunday 23 November 2025, and the winning musician will be expected to be available on this date.
Recent History of the GYM competition
Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year is a well-established competition and since 2014 has featured under the auspicious umbrella of Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra.
Recent winners include James Li, violin (2024), Isaac Williams, violin (2023), Kimmy Kwok, violin (2022), Darcy Beck, percussion (2020), Bill Ko Tsz Hin, viola (2019), Lydia Kenny, saxophone (2018), Hannah Brooks-Hughes, violin (2017), Adam Heron, piano (2016), Rebecca McNaught, cello (2015) and Rhiannon Symonds, trombone (2014).