BBC Young Composer Prom and new educational resources launch for 2022

July 2022 will see the first ever BBC Young Composer Prom as well as the launch of a new package of educational resources for schools, students and teachers. 

Taking place on 30 July at Battersea Arts Centre, the Prom will feature six newly commissioned pieces written by the 2021 competition winners and performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra. 

The competition itself will move to a biennial pattern, with the next one taking place in 2023.

New composition resources

Announced today as part of developments and in its mission to further support students and teachers, BBC Young Composer will offer schools composition resources including films, lesson plans, and access to Spitfire Audio’s ‘Discover’ plugin with samples of 33 instruments recorded by the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

These resources will be available to secondary teachers for teaching Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and at 3rd Level, 4th Level, National 4 and 5 in Scotland. There will also be a new programme of live and online activity for teachers, schools and young people, available from July.

CPD database

Alongside the resources, a BBC Young Composer Network will launch - a new database for teachers, schools and partners to sign up for CPD activities and resources.

Gavin Higgins, composer and BBC Young Composer mentor, said: ‘2020 and 2021 were incredibly hard for young people in the UK and so I was overwhelmed and humbled by the quality and creativity I saw from our young composers. With twice as many entries to the BBC Young Composer [competition] than in previous years, and the standard of work incredibly high, the future of music in the UK is in safe hands. 

‘The support the BBC provides to the next generation of creatives is more important than ever, and I am thrilled that the BBC has decided to support not only the winners of this year's competition, but also many others who impressed the judges with their skill, creativity, and craft. Music really does change lives, and these young composers have bright futures ahead of them.’

Teachers interested in these resources and opportunities can sign up to the BBC Young Composer mailing list here.