BBC Young Musician
Catalog organization: BBC Studios Productions Limited
Compiled by: ExtracurricularHub Editorial Team — editorial policy
Last updated
What Is BBC Young Musician?
BBC Young Musician is a national instrumental performance competition for musicians age 18 or under who live or study in the UK under the rules' residency definition. There is no minimum age. Applicants may play any instrument with a soloist-and-symphony-orchestra repertoire, including electronic instruments and instruments outside the Western classical tradition. The 2026 main competition used brass, keyboard, percussion, strings, and woodwind categories.
Entrants submitted up to ten minutes of recent, unedited performance video plus a short introduction, photo, proof of age, and online form. Up to 40 reached filmed live auditions; eight reached the quarterfinal, five the semifinal, and three performed full concertos with orchestra in the Grand Final during the week of October 12, 2026. The winner receives £3,000. The BBC covers necessary accommodation and reasonable receipted travel for live competition rounds under its rules, but competitors provide many instruments, live-audition accompanists, page turners, and initial video-production needs.
BBC Young Musician Key Facts: Cost, Deadline, and Eligibility
| Cost | Varies — see Cost and funding |
|---|---|
| Format | Hybrid |
| Eligibility | Up to age 18 |
| Application deadline | Dates not announced |
| Listing last updated | August 30, 2026 |
Program details shown here reflect the current catalog record.
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