First Prize at Bristol Rotary Young Musician Competition

Congratulations to violinist Vera (Year 9), who won first prize at the Bristol Rotary Young Musician Competition on 19 January 2024. With four heats, and a final round, the 24 competitors were drawn from the full range of schools across Bristol and beyond (including specialist music schools) and in a wide variety of disciplines. 2024’s final featured a bassoonist, recorder-player, oboist and 3 violinists, with this year’s adjudicators including international recitalist and pianist Allan Schiller.

For the final round, Vera’s programme of Bach’s solo G minor Sarabande, Wieniawski’s Scherzo-Tarantella, and the last movement from Franck’s violin sonata impressed the panel of three adjudicators, enabling her to secure the coveted first prize trophy. At age 13, Vera was the youngest performer on the night, and she follows in a line of successful Cliftonians to have won first prize at the Competition, including three other violinists in the past 15 years.

We wish Vera the very best of luck as she progresses on her journey on the violin (alongside her studies in clarinet, organ) at Clifton College, and at the Junior Royal Academy of Music in London Saturday school where she jointly studies. Well done!