2023 Competitors

YMCC Winner with Adjudicators

This year's WMSO Young Musician Concerto Competition attracted over 60 competitors with a variety of instruments, aged between 11 and 19. Each competitor provided a video submission of their performance. The adjudicators noted that these were of a very high standard. From these, the adjudicators selected the finalists to perform at the final on Sunday 15th October 2023 at St. Piran’s Centre, Maidenhead.

The finals day was showcased performances of an exceptionally high standard. Each of the eight finalists played part of a concerto with piano accompaniment before an appreciative audience.

The chair of the adjudication panel was world-renowned violinist Tasmin Little CBE. Her fellow adjudicators were Leon Gee, the conductor of the Windsor and Maidenhead Symphony Orchestra, Robert Roscoe the Conductor Laureate of the Orchestra, and the well-known local pianist Nigel Wilkinson.

First place was awarded to 18 year old saxophone player Maddie Stewart, from Yorkshire who played the first two movements of Mucazynski’s Alto Saxophone Concerto. Tasmin Little commented: “She conveyed everything one could wish for. We were all spellbound by her performance.” Maddie’s prize of £1,000 was a generous donation from Bishop Strings of London. She also received an engraved glass trophy and will perform a concerto with the Windsor & Maidenhead Symphony Orchestra in its 2024-2025 season.

The second prize of £250 was awarded to outstanding young violinist Chun-Yi Kang who played the first movement of Prokofiev’s 2nd Violin Concerto.

A special commendation was awarded to Dawid Kasprzak, who gave an excellent performance of the first movement of Wieniawski’s 1st Violin Concerto.

The award certificates were presented by the Mayor of Maidenhead, Councillor Neil Knowles. Dr Frances Jones, chair of the Windsor & Maidenhead Symphony Orchestra, thanked Handel Pianos Ltd. of Sunningdale for the loan of a beautiful Bechstein piano for the day, and the Prince Philip Trust Fund and the Royal Borough for their financial support for the competition.

Our next competition will be held on Sunday 13th October 2024.

Read about previous YMC Competitions here.