From 529 down to six: BBC Young Composer 2021 winners announced

Harriet Clifford
Tuesday, September 21, 2021

The six winners across three age categories will work with a mentor on a Radio 3 commission for the BBC Concert Orchestra ahead of a performance or broadcast.

BBC Proms has announced six winners of the BBC Young Composer 2021 competition, an annual competition open to 12- to 18-year-olds.

From 529 entrants, two composers from each of the three age categories were chosen as the winners and will participate in a development programme with mentor composers. Three young composers from each category were also selected as highly commended. 

The judging panel for the 2021 competition, which was open from February to June, consisted of Gavin Higgins, Becky Hill, Shiva Feshareki, Benbrick, Lloyd Coleman, Sarah Freestone, and David Pickard.

At the end of the development programme, the young composers will have worked with their mentor on a Radio 3 commission for the BBC Concert Orchestra, culminating in a performance or broadcast. 

The winners are:

Lower Juniors (12–14 years)                                     

  • Isaac Bristow – Dark Matter
  • Theo Kendall – Magellan

Upper Juniors (15–16 years)

  • Maddy Chassar-Hesketh – From Galaxies to Cells
  • Will Everitt – Etude

Seniors (17–18 years)                  

  • Chelsea Becker – Iris, for oboe and electronics
  • Jenna Stewart – Lost Times

Those selected as highly commended are Taro d’Aronville, Avram Harris, Sam Hesketh, Andrea Lam, Leo Little, Reese Carly Manglicmot, William Clark, Polina Savicka, and Melanie Silva.

Jenna Stewart, Senior category winner said: ‘Maybe being “musically experimental” works after all! I was so thrilled to hear that people enjoy my music. 

‘Composition is a way in which you can say virtually anything, but it can often mean more than just words. Now is a great time to be a young composer, with the great technology and software available there is such a scope for creativity.’

Theo Kendall, Lower Junior category winner said: ‘This award means so much to me as I’d like to pursue music as a career and this will be a major kickstart for me. 

‘This will be a great opportunity to meet like-minded musicians and I’m really looking forward to it.’

Director of the BBC Proms added that ‘the standard was higher than ever this year’, saying that the scheme will ‘give the winners the support and mentoring to enable them to develop their craft and forge long-term careers as composers.’ 

More information can be found here.