There was music, celebration and no shortage of talent at the Jersey Opera House on Saturday evening as six teenagers battled it out to be crowned Jersey’s Young Musician of the Year 2026.
To reach the final, the young musicians had to compete and win in their respective heats against other instrumentalists and vocalists.
The 2026 finalists were pianist Amelia Weber, violinist Prutha Tejpal, tubist Filip Swoboda, percussionist Oliver Hutton, tenor saxophonist Dante Chain Lopez, and vocalist Rubie Le Masurier.
The Young Musician of the Year title is awarded to the performer who gives the most expressive and technically accomplished performance of their chosen repertoire.
Aspiring opera singer Rubie was crowned this year’s overall winner, whilst Filip was recognised as the recipient of the Jersey Symphony Orchestra Award.
Rubie, who is a Year 11 student at JCG, praised the competition as a “wonderful experience and an amazing process”.
“Meeting other people in the young musical community is good for you to make connections and friends,” she added.
The 15-year-old has been training as a classical singer since the age of six.
She is currently studying Grade 8-standard repertoire, with plans to sit the exam before beginning her A-Levels next year.
“In the future, I aspire to be an opera singer and contribute to the music world,” she said.
“I would love to be an adjudicator, conductor, choral leader, producer and opera director as well.”
Rubie’s aspirations stretch far beyond Jersey, with dreams of performing at the Royal Albert Hall and New York’s Metropolitan Opera House.
“Opera is my passion,” she said. “I really recommend watching opera, not enough people do nowadays and it is a dying genre – we need to save it!”
As for roles, she is already thinking like a seasoned mezzo-soprano – aspiring to play Carmen in Carmen, Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier, and Auntie in Peter Grimes.
“I cannot wait to see how my voice will develop as an adult,” she said. “I’m excited to see what I will achieve in the future.”
GALLERY…
Click each image to enlarge. Photos by Ollie Jones.
