Sofia Demetriades, an 18-year-old violinist from Leicestershire, has won the BBC Young Musician competition 2026, performing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in the first all-female final in the competition's 48-year history.
The judges, Joanna MacGregor, Ben Gernon, and Errollyn Wallen, praised her performance as full of insights, poetry, and maturity. At a concert at Bristol Beacon, Demetriades performed with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Alpesh Chauhan. She is in her first year of undergraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music.
The other finalists were 18-year-old saxophonist Kezia Colton, who performed Takashi Yoshimatsu's Cyber Bird Saxophone Concerto, and 17-year-old recorder player Alma Nunez Debretzeni, who played Graham Fitkin's Recorder Concerto. The recorder concerto involves six different recorders, from the giant contrabass to the tiny sopranino.
Alma Nunez Debretzeni said she had wanted to study psychology, but the competition had inspired her to pursue music; she said it had been literally life-changing. The competition, set up in 1978, has produced finalists such as Nicola Benedetti, who was the last violinist to win, in 2004.
The winner receives a trophy, a cash prize of £3,000 towards music studies, and recording and broadcast opportunities. All three finalists will work with the Young Classical Artists Trust.
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- SupportedSofia Demetriades won BBC Young Musician 2026, in the competition’s first all-female final.UK news | The Guardian: “A teenage violinist has won the BBC Young Musician competition 2026, in the first all-female final in the competition’s 48-year history.”
- SupportedDemetriades is an 18-year-old violinist from Leicestershire who won the top prize.UK news | The Guardian: “The 18-year-old is from Leicestershire”
- SupportedDemetriades performed Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in the first all-female final, in the competition’s 48-year history.UK news | The Guardian: “in the first all-female final in the competition’s 48-year history. The judges, Joanna MacGregor, Ben Gernon and Errollyn Wallen, hailed Sofia Demetriades’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto”
- SupportedThe judges praised her performance as full of insights, poetry and maturity.UK news | The Guardian: “The judges, Joanna MacGregor, Ben Gernon and Errollyn Wallen, hailed Sofia Demetriades’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto as full of insights, poetry and maturity.”
- SupportedAt Bristol Beacon, Demetriades performed with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Alpesh Chauhan.UK news | The Guardian: “Each of the three finalists performed a concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Alpesh Chauhan in a concert at Bristol Beacon.”
- SupportedThe other finalists were 18-year-old saxophonist Kezia Colton, who performed Takashi Yoshimatsu’s Cyber Bird Saxophone Concerto.UK news | The Guardian: “An 18-year-old saxophone player, Kezia Colton, performed Takashi Yoshimatsu’s 1994 Cyber Bird Saxophone Concerto”
- SupportedThe other finalist was 17-year-old recorder player Alma Nunez Debretzeni, who played Graham Fitkin’s Recorder Concerto.UK news | The Guardian: “while 17-year-old recorder player Alma Nunez Debretzeni played Graham Fitkin’s Recorder Concerto.”
- SupportedFitkin’s Recorder Concerto involves six different recorders, from the giant contrabass to the tiny sopranino.UK news | The Guardian: “Fitkin’s virtuosic concerto involves six different recorders, ranging from the giant contrabass, about 1.6 metres high, to the tiniest sopranino.”
- SupportedDebretzeni said she had wanted to study psychology and that the competition inspired her to pursue music and had been literally life-changing.UK news | The Guardian: ““Before the competition I hadn’t planned on being a musician,” said Debretzeni. “I wanted to study psychology … but this has been so inspiring it’s made me want to pursue music. It’s been literally life-changing.””
- SupportedNicola Benedetti was the last violinist to win, in 2004.UK news | The Guardian: “in 2004, Nicola Benedetti, who was the last violinist to win.”
- SupportedThe winner receives a trophy, £3,000 towards music studies, and recording and broadcast opportunities.UK news | The Guardian: “The winner receives the trophy, a cash prize of £3,000 towards music studies as well as recording and broadcast opportunities on Radio 3, including with one of the BBC ensembles.”
- SupportedAll three finalists will work with Young Classical Artists Trust.UK news | The Guardian: “All three finalists will work with Young Classical Artists Trust on managing their future careers.”