Scottish Young Musicians - Glasgow final

Scottish Young Musicians returns with competitions that aim to increase participation to even more young people across Scotland.

Scottish Young Musicians, Scotland's leading festival of music competitions, is returning for 2024 to give young people across the country the chance to compete for the titles of Solo Performer of the Year, Ensemble of the Year and Brass Ensemble of the Year. Participation in this career-enhancing competition has been offered to every Local Authority in the country as well as independent schools, in the hope that more young people than ever before will take up the opportunity to perform and take part.
In only 2 years, Scottish Young Musicians has become the largest and most important national music competition in schools, with 30 local authorities participating in the 2023 competition in May, representing around 99% of the school population. The competitions give young people a life-changing and unforgettable experience, as well as the confidence to continue to compete at the highest level and to do so across all socio-economic backgrounds, providing an opportunity which would otherwise not have existed.
New for 2024, Scottish Young Musicians are proud to offer support for a Junior Competition taking place in Primary Schools, with the local authorities taking part focussing on finding the best junior talent in their area, and giving the country’s youngest musicians experience in performing in front of an audience and competing with their peers. Parents and pupils can find out more through their school music teacher.
Back to find its third ever champion, Solo Performer of the Year is open to all young musicians who go to school in Scotland, whatever age or standard. Each local authority will select a regional finalist, with all of them hosting local and regional heats across different schools to decide who will represent their area at the National Final. Musicians can enter through their school music teachers and a finalist will also be selected from Scotland's independent schools. The National Final will take place at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on Sunday 26 May 2024.
Ensemble of the Year, which is open to instruments of all disciplines, and Brass Ensemble of the Year are online competitions which will see school and local ensembles compete to win a chance to perform in a prime slot at the National Final. Ensemble of the Year is open to ensembles of 3 to 16 players of any genre or grouping of instruments who play together regularly in a formal group from a school or recognised music organisation. Brass Ensemble of the Year is open to ensembles of 3 to 12 players who play together regularly in a formal group from a school or recognised music organisation. For both competitions, all members must be school students in Scotland, but there is no minimum age or standard.