It is the turn of five percussion soloists to dazzle with their exceptional technique and musicality as we reach the penultimate category final in the series. Organist and conductor Anna Lapwood is joined by former percussion winner Owen Gunnell to review the performances, recorded in the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama before the coronavirus lockdown.
The percussion finalists are 16-year-old Lewis Kentaro Isaacs, 18-year-old Isaac Harari, Toril Azzalini-Machecler, also aged 18, Fang Zhang, who is 16, and 17-year-old Alexander Pullen. Repertoire includes works by John Psathas, Sergei Golovko, Georges Aperghis, Astor Piazzolla and Jago Thornton.
On the jury are two of the UK’s most respected percussionists: Simone Rebello, director of percussion at the Royal Northern College of Music, an internationally acclaimed soloist and founding member of percussion quartet BackBeat, and Julian Warburton, professor of percussion at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, also a renowned soloist, collaborator and conductor. They join the chair of all the BBC Young Musician 2020 category final judging panels, Angela Dixon, chief executive of the award-winning performance venue Saffron Hall.
Also in the programme, Jess Gillam, saxophonist, broadcaster and former BBC Young Musician finalist, continues her series of conversations with leading UK musicians. She speaks to percussionist Lucy Landymore, who won the percussion final in 2010 and has gone on to enjoy a successful career, including performing in film composer Hans Zimmer’s orchestra on tour.
Each of the category final concerts is available to watch in full on the BBC iPlayer, presented by Josie d’Arby.
