Musician of the Year Finalists

Meet the finalists in the Sussex Young Musician of the Year 2019 competition.

These four talented musicians will compete for prizes totalling £2,000 in the final on Saturday, July 6.

Organised by Coro Nuovo, the competition aims to give a platform to young Sussex musicians.

Tradoak is delighted to once again be providing the bursary.

Kate Kent, chair of Coro Nuovo, said: “Each year the standard of entrants has increased, and we are exceptionally lucky to have so many talented and diverse young Sussex musicians.

"It has been an incredibly hard job selecting the Coro Nuovo Sussex Young Musician of the Year finalists, and it will be even harder choosing the ultimate winner.

"We are grateful to Sussex-based company Traditional Oak and Timber which has supported the event again as the main sponsor as well as all the other donors who make this event possible”.

The finalists

This year saw 21 musicians apply for the chance to win the title.

Live auditions, held on Saturday, June 2, saw nine of those applicants showcase their talents.

The judges then chose four to progress to the final.

Andrew Martin, flute, is 25 and from Chichester.

He was a finalist in last year’s Sussex Young Musician competition.

He is currently in his second year of a masters in Orchestral Artistry at Guildhall and has performed in many prestigious UK venues.

George Robinson, classical guitar, is 24 and also from Chichester.

George is studying for a masters in performance at the Royal College of Music. He was runner up in last year's competition.

Leo Popplewell, cello, is also 24 from Chichester.

He is a postgraduate student at Guildhall on the MMus course and is set to be appointed a Junior Fellow.

Maria Luc, piano, is 23 from Chichester.

She is a postgraduate at the Royal Northern College studying for her MMus and a multiple award-winning pianist.

The reserve for the final is Eliette Harris, violin.

Eliette is originally from Brighton and is 23. She is at the Royal Northern College studying under Yossi Zivoni.

Sussex Young Musician of the Year

Organised by leading Sussex choir Coro Nuovo, the final will be held on Saturday, July 6, at St Andrew's Church in Burgess Hill.

Each finalist will perform for an audience before the judges chose their overall winner.

Now in its fourth year, the competition is open to singers and instrumentalists aged between 18 and 26.

Applicants must be currently, or about to begin, studying at leading conservatoires.

Coro Nuovo, directed by international tenor Andrew Rees, helps provide a platform from which talented young musicians with a Sussex connection can launch their future careers.

Last year’s winner Rebecca Leggett is studying for her masters degree at the Royal College and is in great demand as a soloist, not only in Sussex, but in major venues around the country.

Tickets for the final are available via coronuovo.org.uk/tickets, by emailing tickets@coronuovo.org.uk, or by calling 07887 917657.

Traditional Oak And Timber Company

Tradoak was formed by Neil Peskett in 1990.

We supply quality reclaimed and air-dried oak beams to the construction industry and direct to consumers.

Our website provides examples of some of the work we have undertaken and products we can supply.

As an independent family business we are passionate about supporting our local community.