The Final

From hundreds of entries, just three talented, young classical musicians remain as BBC Young Musician reaches its thrilling finale. This competition has launched the careers of some of the biggest stars in classical music, including Nicola Benedetti, Alison Balsom and Sheku Kanneh-Mason. At the end of the evening, another exceptional musician will be crowned to follow in their footsteps.

The final is the ultimate test for the three remaining players as they perform a full concerto with a professional orchestra in front of a packed auditorium at Bristol Beacon. We follow their progress during rehearsals and find out exactly what it takes to perform at this level.

Accompanying our finalists is the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, with internationally renowned conductor Alpesh Chauhan. Petroc Trelawny brings us exclusive backstage access and full performances from the evening. Returning to the jury are our series judges, critically acclaimed pianist Joanna MacGregor and award-winning conductor Ben Gernon.

For the exciting finale, they are joined on the judging panel by Errollyn Wallen, the celebrated composer and current Master of the King’s Music. Only they can decide who will be named BBC Young Musician 2026.