Violinist Sofia Demetriades wins BBC Young Musician in first all-female final

Sofia Demetriades, an 18-year-old violinist, has won BBC Young Musician 2026 in the competition’s first all-female final in its 48-year history.

The judges Joanna MacGregor, Ben Gernon and Errollyn Wallen praised her performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto as full of insights, poetry and maturity. MacGregor called her “a simply extraordinary musician” who “performs with her eyes, achieving dizzying technical feats but she looks as if she’s enjoying it”.

Demetriades is from Leicestershire and is in her first year of undergraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music. She was one of several hundred to send in a video application before 40 young players were selected for live auditions at Bath Spa University, from which eight reached the quarter-finals, held on her 18th birthday. Among her fellow quarter-finalists was Sylvester Maschi, 14, the first accordion player to reach the final stages.

The three finalists each performed a concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Alpesh Chauhan, at Bristol Beacon. Kezia Colton, 18, a saxophone player, performed Takashi Yoshimatsu’s 1994 Cyber Bird Saxophone Concerto, while Alma Nunez Debretzeni, 17, a recorder player, played Graham Fitkin’s Recorder Concerto. The concerto, which uses six recorders from the 1.6-metre contrabass to the tiniest sopranino, was commissioned by Debretzeni’s teacher, Barbara Law, and premiered in 2017 by 2014 finalist Sophie Westbrooke. Jordan Ashman, the 2022 overall winner, joined Colton onstage for the Yoshimatsu concerto.

Wallen said Colton “plays with incredible verve and spirit”. Gernon said: “Her performance was sassy and cool, but her more intimate playing is incredibly strong too.” The judges praised the “electricity, aliveness, and beautiful intensity” Debretzeni brought to Fitkin’s concerto. “She took us on a musical journey … we were inside every note,” Wallen said.

“Before the competition I hadn’t planned on being a musician,” Debretzeni said. “I wanted to study psychology … but this has been so inspiring it’s made me want to pursue music. It’s been literally life-changing.”

MacGregor said: “Sofia’s innate sense of colour, musical style and architecture combines with an effortless technique, and a joy for whatever music she’s playing. In a competition full of gifted and dedicated young musicians, Sofia’s sensitivity and sophistication stood out in every round.”

The winner receives the trophy, £3,000 towards music studies and recording and broadcast opportunities on Radio 3, including with one of the BBC ensembles. All three finalists will work with the Young Classical Artists Trust on managing their future careers.

“I am so honoured and thrilled to have been a part of BBC Young Musician,” Demetriades said. “I loved playing in the quarter-final on my 18th birthday. I didn’t think I could top that, but to go on to be crowned winner is my absolute dream!”