Six of Jersey’s most talented young musicians will tomorrow battle it out to be crowned Young Musician of the Year… but who will hit all the right notes? Here are the finalists…
Organised by the Jersey Music Service and sponsored by long-term supporter PwC, the competition is now in its 33rd year and incorporates qualifying heats for string, woodwind, piano, brass, voice and percussion to provides budding musicians performance and competition opportunities.
After months of intense competition, the six students – each a standout performer in their musical category – will take centre stage at Jersey Arts Centre, performing for a chance to claim the 2025 trophy and £1,000 towards their musical journey.
They will also be offered the opportunity to benefit from a structured programme of participation with the JSO over the next year.
With expert adjudication from David Chatterton, former head of Brass, Percussion, and Jazz at the world-renowned Chetham’s School of Music, and a special performance from last year’s winner, flautist Cosimo Dhami-Hounsome, the evening promises to be an unforgettable evening of musical brilliance.
So, who are the finalists?
Woodwind: Emma Mwanga (flute)
Brass: Summer Watkins (trumpet)
Vocals: Savanna Vogt
Piano: Jason Hoare
Percussion: Oliver Hutton
Strings: Edward Clark (violin)
Dr Graham Cox, Principal of Jersey Music Service, said this year is “no exception” in terms of the high calibre of young musical talent on display.
“Each year I am blown away by the high standard of entries. This year… we have some very talented musicians in the finals and the adjudicator has a difficult task on his hands.
“I’m very much looking forward to their performances on the night.”
Abigail McDermott, Marketing Director at event sponsor PwC, added: “It’s fantastic to see year-on-year the wealth of musical talent in our local community. This competition really showcases the very best of Jersey’s young, gifted and disciplined musicians.
“Those that have made it to the final should be extremely proud of their achievements and I wish them the best of luck for the night and with their future musical careers.”
At the event, the below category winners of the PwC Jersey Junior Musician of the Year Competition will also be presented with their trophies.
Junior winners
Piano: Jack Murphy
Strings: Emily Coates Rodriguez (violin)
Brass: Theo Robson (cornet)
Woodwind: William de la Haye (bassoon)
Vocals: Prutha Tejpal
The final will start at 19:00 on Saturday 1 March at 7pm at the Jersey Arts Centre. Tickets can be purchased here.