The WMSO’s competition for young musicians takes place in October each year and attracts players of exceptional musical ability up to the age of 18 (previously age 19). The Competition is open to young players of piano, string, woodwind and brass instruments who are resident or studying in the UK or in one of the twin towns of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
The 2026 competition is now open for Applications.
The winner of the 2026 competition will receive a cash prize of £1,000 and a trophy. They will also have the opportunity to perform a concerto with the Windsor & Maidenhead Symphony Orchestra during the following season. The player placed second in the competition will receive a cash prize of £250. The Aubrey Thonger Silver Cup will be presented to a further player who shows the most promising talent.
Applications must be submitted by 22 May 2026. There is a non-refundable entry fee of £75. Players need to send in a completed application form, a link to a video of up to 10 minutes of their playing with live piano accompaniment (other than for pianists) and a summary of their musical background. All applicants will receive written comments on their video performance.
The Competition Final will take place on Sunday 11 October at St Piran’s Centre, Maidenhead. On the basis of the videos submitted, eight finalists will be selected to perform an extract from a concerto in the Competition Final with piano accompaniment before a panel of adjudicators. The Competition Final is open to the public who are welcome to come and enjoy the performances of the young musicians and hear the adjudicators’ comments and decisions.
Full details of the competition are available here.
The Rules and Application form are available here.
Previous WMSO competition winners have subsequently been successful in nationally and internationally renowned competitions such as the BBC Young Musician of the Year, and many now have prestigious musical careers. You can see the progress of our former winners here.
The winner of the 2025 competition was the violinist Sasha Parker, age 19. Sasha received a cash prize of £1,000 and a trophy, and will have the opportunity to perform a concerto with the Windsor & Maidenhead Symphony Orchestra during the next season.
Reuben Moisey, a pianist age 17, was placed second, and received a cash prize of £250.
The Aubrey Thonger Silver Cup for the most promising talent was presented to Sergey Druzhinin, a pianist age 12.
The Orchestra is most grateful to our sponsors: Handel Pianos Ltd for sponsoring and providing a grand piano for use in the Final, and The Prince Philip Trust Fund and the Louis Baylis Charitable Trust for their financial support.
Any queries can be sent to the Competition organiser through our Contact Form - please choose the category Young Musician Concerto Competition.
You can read about our 2025 competition here.