Explanatory Notes
Accompanists
For the Regional and Category Auditions you must provide your own accompanist at your expense.
For the Category Finals and Semi-Final you will be asked if you would like an official ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ accompanist although you may continue to use your own. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will not pay for any additional accompanists' travel, accommodation or meals.
Eligibility
You may enter for any of the instrument classes as long as the following three categories are satisfied:
- Qualification You should have achieved Grade 8 standard (see entry form for further details)
- Age You should be 18 or under on 1 January 2010.
- Residency You must be a resident of the United Kingdom (including the Channel Isles and Isle of Man).
You must provide a copy of your birth certificate with your application form along with a copy of your Grade 8 or diploma certificate or an accreditation from your teacher.
(The copy of your birth certificate will be destroyed once your entry has been validated).
Entrants may also be asked to provide proof of UK residency if required to do so.
Entrants aged 16 or under will require the signed consent of their parent or guardian (see Entry Form).
All eligible Entrants aged 16 or under will be required to be licensed by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ before attending the Category Auditions and must attend any competition stage with an adult chaperone. Any entrant requiring a license who is unable to be licensed for any reason will not be able to take part.
Any entrant who the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ (in its absolute discretion) considers too young, badly behaved, unable to cope with the stress or otherwise unsuitable to take part in the competition will not be able to compete.
The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will only use your personal details for the purposes of administering this competition, and will not publish them or provide them to anyone not connected with this competition without your permission. If the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ is required to pass your details to any third party for the purposes of administering this competition, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will require that they only use your details strictly for these purposes. If you would like to know more about the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Privacy & Cookies Policy, please go to
Entry requirements and Multiple entries
If you wish to enter ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Young Musician 2010, please complete the competition entry form.
Remember to enclose:
- Postal entry form
- Copy of birth certificate
- Either a copy of Grade 8 certificate or copy of a Performer's Diploma or signed accreditation from a professional teacher
- Repertoire choices for Regional and Category Auditions
Multiple entries - If you wish to play different instruments from the same family (e.g. descant and treble recorders; B flat, D trumpets and flugelhorn) you may enter these on a single application form. However, if you wish to enter on instruments of different characters (e.g. flute and oboe; piano and organ) you must submit separate entry forms for each one.
Please note that the judges' decision on all matters is final. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will not enter into any correspondence, either verbal or written about results. Written reports on performances will be available from the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Young Musician office on request.
Expenses
You will be reimbursed for any reasonable travel expenses (i.e. standard rail fare or equivalent) on production of a receipt/invoice. If you are under 16 at the Regional and/ or Category Auditions we will also pay for an adult to chaperone you unless you are travelling with an adult accompanist. We are unable to reimburse travel expenses if you are travelling from outside the UK.
Instruments
Apart from pianists, organists (performers who play the electronic organ must provide their own instrument) and percussionists, you must provide your own instrument. If you choose to provide your own percussion instruments this will be at your own expense. A piano will be provided for accompanists. If you require any other instrument for an accompanist this will be provided at your own expense.
Percussionists - you should include tuned and non-tuned percussion in your programmes. You may bring UP TO TWO other accompanists (e.g. piano and double bass) at your own expense but percussion must be the dominant solo instrument. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will provide a range of professional percussion instruments for competitors at each stage; however, percussionists may provide their own instruments which they must transport at their own expense.
Interviews and television cameras
Television cameras will be present to record the Regional Auditions, Category Auditions, Category Finals, Semi-Final and Final of the competition for broadcast on television. You may be contacted by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ and interviewed at any stage of the competition. This interview and your performances may be recorded for possible use on radio, television and online.
Music
You can play from memory or from music at any stage of the competition.
It is recommended that performers include some variety of style and period in their choice of music. Failure to do so will not be penalised, but a well-selected programme will be taken into account by the adjudicators in the case of a tie.
All details of music for the Regional and Category Auditions should be filled in on the entry form, including the publisher and duration of each work.
One piece of repertoire from the Regional Auditions can be repeated at the Category Auditions (if you are selected). You may also perform another movement from the same work.
You will be allowed to change your mind on the choice of music as long as the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Young Musician office has been informed by the following dates:
Regional Auditions - 21 September 2009
Category Auditions - 23 November 2009
In the Regional Auditions, Category Auditions and Category Final you must provide the adjudicators with a copy of the music you will play.
All competitors reaching the Category Finals must send details of their programmes by 18 January, 2010 and notify the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ of their choice of concerto (or work for solo instrument and orchestra) to be performed at the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Young Musician Final (if you are selected).
If selected for the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Young Musician Semi-Final you will perform the same repertoire as in your Category Final which may include one piece of music that you played in the Regional or Category Auditions. You may also perform another movement from the same work.
Those who get to the Final of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Young Musician 2010 should note that they will be playing with the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ National Orchestra of Wales. As rehearsal time is limited the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will be strict about the duration of your chosen concerto (or work for solo instrument and orchestra) which must not exceed 30 minutes. The order of the performance will be decided by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ at all stages of the competition.
In the event of an entrant being unable to take part in any judging stage for any reason including illness, licensing issues or other eventuality then the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ reserves the right to substitute an alternative entrant.
Time limits
Regional Auditions - 10 minutes
Category Auditions - 15 minutes
Category Final - 20 minutes
Semi-Final - 20 minutes
Final - 30 minutes
When timing your programme please allow for gaps between movements and for tuning. For example, your 10 minute programme might only contain 8-9 minutes of music. You will be stopped by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ representative if you exceed the time limit. In the event of a tie between competitors, if any have exceeded the time limit, this may be taken into account when choosing who goes through to the next stage.
Website information and internet entries
You can download the entry form from the 2010 Competition page of this site
You can also request a brochure by emailing us at young.musician@bbc.co.uk
After sending your application form to us you should receive acknowledgement of its safe arrival by email or post. If it does not arrive within 14 days you should contact us on 02920 323900.
Young Concert Artists Trust
The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ has arranged an aftercare scheme for the three competitors who reach the Final. It is with the Young Concert Artists Trust (YCAT), a charitable organization which provides expert advice and guidance on career development to outstanding young musicians at the outset of their professional careers. From this organisation the finalists receive advice on concert engagements, repertoire, teachers, fee negotiations and other matters. The first two years of this service are paid for by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Broadcast Terms and Conditions
I hereby consent to the filming of my participation in the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Young Musician of the Year competition 2010, the nature and content of which has been fully explained to me.
In particular I acknowledge that adjudicators' comments, both positive and negative will be recorded and may be included in any ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ output.
I hereby assign the complete copyright in my contribution and give all consents as may be required under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended) and grant to the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ any and all rights necessary to enable the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ to make the fullest use of its recordings without restriction in any and all media throughout the world for the duration of such rights. In particular I hereby grant to the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ the unlimited right to edit, copy, alter, add to, take from, adapt or translate my contributions hereunder and in relation to such contributions hereby waive irrevocably all 'moral rights' which I have now or in the future, including without limitation any rights under section 77 to 85 inclusive of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or any similar law of any jurisdiction.
The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ may without further consent use my name, likeness, biography, photographs of me and recordings of interviews with me in advertising and publicising the Programme(s) in all media formats worldwide.
I agree at the request of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ to take part in publicity events in connection with the competition.
The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ shall not be liable to me or my legal representative for any loss or damage or injury to me or my property caused or suffered in connection with the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's making of the Programme(s) unless caused by the negligence of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ and recoverable on that ground.
I agree that my contribution shall not contain anything which is an infringement of copyright or which is calculated to bring the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ into disrepute or which is defamatory provided however that the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ shall not be entitled to bring claim against me in respect of any defamatory material that was included in my contribution without negligence or malice on my part.
The Courts of England and Wales shall have sole jurisdiction in relation to this declaration which shall be interpreted to the laws of England and Wales.