The Seventh Young Musician of the Year competition, stands out for two reasons. For the first time ever, a large ensemble have clinched the coveted title with their stunning performance of September by Earth, Wind and Fire. Another reason why 2009 will stand out in our memories is that the competition has been amazingly close. Choosing a winner was going to be a tough job for even the most rigorous of adjudicators!
120 acts were whittled down to just 37 over three days of heats. These 37 then performed in the semi finals across two evenings in the Music School. 16 were then chosen to compete in the Final, with guest adjudicator Mr Quentin Thomas, Head of Music at Haileybury. Mr Thomas commented that he was impressed with the standard of performances across the board. He advised all boys to now have the courage to perform from memory, as this would put the polish on some really wonderful performances. Ryosuke Yamada and Oliver Rutherford received Highly Commended awards for their solo performances on piano and drum kit respectively. Oliver’s Improvisation was commended for displaying great control at the kit, and the skill with which he performed a great variety of dynamics and rhythms which kept the audience on the edge of their seats! Ryosuke was also commended for his control and poise at the piano, as well as his beautiful sensitivity and interpretation of his Tchaikovsky. The winners, Terra, Ventus, Incendium, performed with such energy and passion, that Mr Thomas had no doubt that they deserved to share the title of HABS Young Musician of the Year. As well as their infectious energy and immaculate presentation, Terra, Ventus, Incendium, displayed great technical ability, as well as a fine awareness of balance and tone, as well as other issues related to the complexities of ensemble performance. A huge thank you goes to all the boys who put themselves forward for the festival, and we hope to hear many of you again next year! Well Done! Thank you also to Mr Andy Simm for producing yet another fabulous competition.
HABS Young Musician of the Year:Terra, Ventus, Incendium - Omar Ali, Oliver Anisfeld, Adam Goldstein, Akshay-Kishan Karia, Trystan Lever, Wil Lever, Jamie Ough, Matthew Perlman, Henry Preston, Dylon Sivam, Jonathan Tang
