BBC Young Musician 2022 finals to be broadcast this autumn

Hattie Fisk
Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Celebrating young classical performers, the biannual BBC Young Musician competition finals will be aired this October on BBC Four, Radio 3, iPlayer and BBC Sounds.

BBC Young Musician 2020 winner Fang Zhang
BBC Young Musician 2020 winner Fang Zhang

Fabio De Paola - PA Wire

The BBC Young Musician competition 2022 finals will be broadcast next month in the competition's 23rd installment.

The 2022 finals were recorded in early July at Saffron Hall in Saffron Walden, Essex, celebrating some of the best young instrumentalists in the fields of brass, keyboard, percussion, strings and woodwind.

The judging panels, chaired by Anna Lapwood, include experts from each division. The grand final judging panel is made up of Emma Bloxham, Toks Dada, Ben Gernon, and Anoushka Shankar.

Starting from 2 October, hour-long programmes of highlights form each category final will be broadcast on BBC Four over a week, introduced by saxophonist, broadcaster and previous 2015 finalist Jess Gillam, and classical soul pianist, composer, and producer Alexis Ffrench. 

The broadcast schedule is as follows:

  • Strings category final: Sunday 2 October, 7pm
  • Woodwind category final: Monday 3 October, 7pm
  • Brass category final: Tuesday 4 October, 7pm
  • Percussion category final: Wednesday 5 October, 7pm
  • Keyboard category final: Thursday 6 October, 7pm
  • Grand final: Sunday 9 October 

The grand final of BBC Young Musician 2022 will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer for 12 months after its initial broadcast, and will be available on BBC Sounds for 30 days. 

Suzy Klein, BBC head of arts and Classical Music TV, said: ‘BBC Young Musician has been bringing the next generation of classical stars to audiences since 1978. So it is with great pleasure that we herald its return to our screens with a new showcase of the most dynamic, charismatic and brilliant young classical performers from across the UK. We are so proud to be able to provide a platform for their artistry and to nurture these emerging stars in the crucial first steps of their careers.’

BBC Young Musician 2020 was won by 18-year-old percussionist Fang Zhang, who was awarded the title in May 2021. 

BBC Young Jazz Musician is returning in autumn 2022, with the final taking place at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on Saturday 19 November as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival. 

Find out more here.