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³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 2 today announces the six semi-finalists for the 2011 Young Brass Soloist Award, which celebrates the best brass playing in the UK.

Calum Tonner, aged 17 from Angus Scotland, plays the trumpet.

Hannah Drage, aged 18 from Towcester, Northants, plays the tenor horn.

Michael Cavanagh, aged 16 from Stockport, plays the baritone horn.

James Mcleod, aged 19 from Tyne and Wear, plays the euphonium.

Jonathan Bates, aged 15 from Huddersfield, plays the tenor horn.

Lewis Musson, aged 20 from Manchester, plays the euphonium.

The semi-finals take place on Saturday 22 January 2011 at the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ studios in Manchester. The six players will be accompanied by the Rothwell Temperance Band.

They will each play and record up to 10 minutes of music which will be sent to the judges, who jointly select four performers for the final. Highlights of the semi-final will be broadcast in Frank Renton's Listen To The Band programmes on Thursday 10 and Thursday 17 February.

The final, presented by Frank Renton, is on Saturday 19 February 2011 at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where just one of the performers will receive a trophy as well as an invitation to perform as a guest soloist with one of the UK's top brass bands.

The winner will also be awarded with a guest appearance on Radio 2's Friday Night Is Music Night – Britain's longest-running live music programme – which, in 2010, has featured artists such as Bryn Terfel, Paloma Faith and Michael Ball. The final will be broadcast on Radio 2 shortly after.

The award, which was presented earlier this year to 18-year-old Matthew White, was open to all brass players under the age of 21 of Grade 8, or equivalent standard, and who play regularly with a brass band, wind band or orchestra and are resident in the UK.

The Radio 2 Young Brass Soloist of the Year is one way in which Radio 2, which attracts 13.68m listeners every week, remains committed to supporting music at grass roots level.

The Kiri Prize was a nationwide hunt held earlier this year with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa to find an opera star of the future, which was won by Shuna Scott Sendall, who trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music.

Last month, The Radio 2 Young Choristers Of The Year were crowned at the Grand Final held at St Paul's Cathedral in London – Ella Taylor and Liam Jones.

KA