Jersey Young Musician of the Year Competition

On Saturday 1st March, six exceptionally talented, young local musicians will take to the stage for the final of the ‘PwC Jersey Young Musician of the Year 2025’.

Organised by Jersey Music Service and sponsored by long-term supporter PwC, the competition, which is in its 33rd year, incorporates the well-established sectional competitions for string, woodwind, piano, brass, voice and percussion. The event provides young musicians in Jersey with performance and competition opportunities, with many previous finalists having gone on to pursue successful careers in music.

To reach the final, the young musicians have already had to compete in and win their particular heat in competition with other instrumentalists and vocalists in their section. Now, the heat winners go head-to-head at the Jersey Arts Centre, and will no doubt produce an array of timbres, musical styles and genres.

Each musician will perform a short programme of music of their choice, and the finalist who gives the most expressive and technically accomplished performance of their chosen repertoire will be named the PwC Jersey Young Musician of the Year 2025.

This year’s finalists are:

• Island Music Woodwind Heat – Emma Mwanga (flute)
• Jersey Premier Brass – Brass Heat – Summer Watkins (trumpet)
• Jersey Vocal Trust – Vocal Heat – Savanna Vogt (vocal)
• Wendy Falla Piano Heat – Jason Hoare (piano)
• The Band of the Island of Jersey Percussion Heat – Oliver Hutton (percussion)
• Dorothy Chapman String Heat – Edward Clark (violin)

The evening, which is a firm favourite in the Island’s annual performing arts’ calendar, will be adjudicated by David Chatterton, who led the Brass, Percussion and Jazz departments at Chetham’s School of Music from 2002 and helped develop, over many years, a range and excellence of provision typical of music as a whole in the school. He was appointed as Assistant Principal and Head of Brass, Percussion and Jazz at Chetham’s in 2020, and recently retired after almost four  decades at the school. David has coached ensembles such as the National Youth Wind Ensemble, National Youth Chamber Orchestra and National Youth Concert Band. In addition, there will be a featured performance from flautist Cosimo Dhami-Hounsome (pictured), last year’s winner.

The winner will be awarded with the coveted trophy, along with a cheque presented by PwC for £1,000 in support of their ongoing music studies. In addition, the Jersey Symphony Orchestra (JSO) Award will go to one of the finalists whose performance demonstrates potential to benefit from a structured programme of participation with the JSO over the following 12 months.

Dr Graham Cox, Principal of Jersey Music Service, said: “The PwC Jersey Young Musician of the Year competition is one of the Island’s longest established artistic  competitions and each year I am blown away by the high standard of entries. This year is no exception, we have some very talented musicians in the finals and the adjudicator has a difficult task on his hands. I’m very much looking forward to their performances on the night.”

Abigail McDermott, Marketing Director at PwC, commented: “As long term sponsor of the PwC Jersey Young Musician of the Year Competition, it’s fantastic to see year-on-year the wealth of musical talent in our local community. This competition really showcases the very best of Jersey’s young, gifted and disciplined musicians. Those that have made it to the final should be extremely proud of their achievements and I wish them the best of luck for the night and with their future musical careers.”