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BBC Young Musician of the Year 2008:  The Grand Final Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 10, 11, 2008, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (BK)


To mark the 30^th anniversary of the Competition, the Final of BBC Young Musician of the Year, produced by BBC Wales, is being transformed into a two day celebration of our outstanding young musicians. On Saturday May 10, each of the five Finalists will play their chosen concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Principal Conductor Thierry Fischer, in front of the Judging Panel and a live audience. 

The competitors return to the stage on Sunday May 11, with BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Thierry Fischer.  All five will reprise part of their concerto performance, chosen by the Judges after the previous evening’s concert. They will also perform a piece that is particularly personal to them. Sunday’s live music performances will be interspersed with documentary footage of each Finalist’s journey to the Grand Final. Once the competitors have played, the Judges will retire to make their decision.

Before the prestigious title of BBC Young Musician of the Year 2008 is presented to one of the young musicians, the Tabor Award for Promising Talent will be presented by Doreen Tabor to one of the competitors chosen from across our Category Finalists.  The Tabor Foundation is also the overall sponsor of the Grand Final weekend. The Tabor Award of £2,000 is made to assist with the costs of special tuition to enable the competitor to achieve his or her potential.

In addition, The Walter Todds Bursary, given in memory of the founder of BBC Young Musician of the Year, will be presented.  A total bursary of £1,000 will be awarded to the performer or performers who do not reach the Grand Final Weekend but who show great promise.

Broadcast Coverage

BBC Young Musician of the Year will receive more coverage across the different broadcast platforms than ever before. Television coverage starts on Sunday, May 4 with a 60 minute documentary on BBC TWO looking back at the history of the Competition, catching up with past winners, finalists and judges and examining the impact that the UK’s most prestigious classical music competition for young people has had on the young musicians themselves.

On Monday, May 5 the Competition moves to BBC FOUR and each night across the week leading up to the Grand Final Weekend, an hour long programme of performance and documentary will follow the competitors as they take part in the Category Finals, each with their sights set on winning a place in the Grand Final.

BBC TWO will host coverage of the Grand Final Weekend in a two hour special, broadcast on Sunday, May 11 just moments after the live event has finished.  Viewers will be able to judge the young musicians for themselves as highlights of Saturday’s concerto performance plus all the music, tension and eventual results from earlier that afternoon are shown.

BBC Radio 3 are this year featuring each Category Winner in Afternoon on 3 Monday to Friday, May 5 to 9 May and listeners will be able to hear the concerto performances recorded on Saturday 11 May in Performance on 3 on Monday  May 12 from 7.00pm. All broadcast dates and times are subject to change, so please check listings for further information.

Bill Kenny

Ticket information:

Grand Final Weekend, Saturday 10 May 2008 at 7.00pm, Sunday 11 May 2008 at 1.30pm
Wales Millennium Centre Box Office:  08700 40 2000
Tickets for each concert:  £12, £10, £8, £5 concessions available
20 % Discount if booking for both Saturday and Sunday, May 10 and 11 (excludes £5 tickets)

For further information, photography, interviews contact: Mike Smith. +44 (0) 29 2046 2686 +44 (0) 7795 325161 Email: mike@mediasmith.co.uk


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