14/07/2008
British composing talent is on the rise if the BBC Proms/Guardian Young Composers' Competition is anything to go by.
The winning entries in the annual competition surpassed all expectations according to judges Stuart MacRae and Paul Patterson.
Patterson, a former head of composition at the Royal Academy of Music, told the Guardian: "I work with a lot of young composers this age with the National Youth Orchestra and we have what I thought was the cream of the country. I was amazed to see there is a whole world of talented people in this country writing very imaginative music and who already at their tender age have got a good sense of technique."
"You can tell that a lot of the pieces are by younger composers," added MacRae, "but there's a great deal of originality to them and, more importantly perhaps, a real willingness to express something of themselves in the pieces."
There were two winners in the senior category, En Liang Khong and Alexander Nikiporenko, both 18. Khong, who cites his influences as John Coltrane, Penderecki and Ligeti, won with a brooding piece called Black Rain, for string quartet, percussion and spoken voice.
Russian-born Nikiporenko has been studying at Chetham's in Manchester for five years and triumphed with his piece Awaiting, for piano and flute, having been highly commended in the competition for the last three years. In the junior category, honours went to Tom Rose, 16, Tom Curran, 16, and Men Gei Li, 14.
The winning compositions will be performed in a special concert during this year's BBC Proms, while all the competition entrants have been invited to take part in Inspire Day, an opportunity to meet professional composers, musicians and industry figures.
Listen to the winning entries.
The winners in full
Senior
En Liang Khong, 18, 'Black Rain', St Paul's school, Barnes
Alexander Nikiporenko, 18, 'Awaiting', Chetham's school of music, Manchester
Junior
Tom Rose, 16, 'Moth Lamp', Thomas Mills high school, Framlingham
Tom Curran, 16, 'Searching', Sawston Village college
Men Gei Li, 14, 'Triquad Variations', The Purcell school, Bushey
Highly commended
Senior
Andrew Hadfield, 18, 'The Flight of the Phoenix', The Portsmouth grammar school
Toby Young, 18, 'Les Jongleurs', Haberdashers Askes boys' school
Junior
Lloyd Coleman, 16, 'Quintet for soprano saxophone', Chetham's school of music, Manchester
Philippa Ovenden, 16, 'Etone', The Purcell school, Bushey
Sasha Millwood, 16, 'String Quartet, last movement', King Edward VI grammar school, Chelmsford