MUSICIANS from around the world went toe to toe earlier this month in Bromsgrove’s renowned International Young Musician’s Competition.
Competitors included international artists from South Korea, Spain, Germany and Romania alongside British counterparts.
The general public watched in awe as 23-year-old British Pianist Madeleine Brown performed pieces by Serocki and Scriabin to scoop the top cash prize, as well as a bursary to support future concert engagements.
Madeleine is currently studying at the Royal Northern College of Music having graduated with a BA in Music from Trinity College, Cambridge.
She has been described by Peter Donohoe CBE as having ‘the potential to become a major voice in the classical music world.’
2025 winner, Madeleine Brown said,:“It was a wonderful experience to be in such a great concert environment, it didn’t feel like a competition.
“I’d definitely recommend The Bromsgrove, it is hosted in such a nice location, and everyone has looked after us so well. All we had to worry about is playing.”
Jamie Cochrane (piano) and Iohan Coman (violin) were awarded two finalists’ prizes, with Iohan returning to the stage in Bromsgrove having been a finalist in our sister competition, the Young Musicians’ Platform, back in 2019 as a secondary school pupil.
Now hosted biennially, the Bromsgrove competition is open to talented instrumentalists and singers of any nationality aged between 18 and 25 (age up to 28 for singers).
The event is hosted in Routh Concert Hall at Bromsgrove School, with the preliminary rounds and semi-final open to the general public free of charge, followed by the final on the Saturday evening.
The Saturday now includes the bonus of the final of its sister competition, the Bromsgrove Young Musicians’ Platform, taking place on the same afternoon.
With two sections to the young musicians’ competition, a junior section for 9 to 13 year olds, and a senior section for those aged 14 to 17.
Ten talented musicians from across the UK took to the stage to compete for financial bursaries of £1000 (Senior section) and £750 (Junior section) to enable them to further develop their musical talent.
After much deliberation, Lia Iben Matos Wunderlich (cello) aged 15 from London, and studying at the junior department of the Royal Academy of Music, scooped the top prize in the senior section.
For the juniors, the Platform announced their first winner on the recorder, Celia Cahill-Wright, aged 10, also from London.
The runners up were Nathaniel Ming Shun Law on oboe (senior section) and Aiqi Li for the junior section (piano).
Visit www.bromsgrovecompetition.com and www.bromsgroveplatform.com for more information.
