Woodwind Final BBC Young Musician

Last week, BBC Young Musician began with an exhilarating keyboard final,

but deciding on a winner proved far from easy.

It was an unforgettable evening. The standard was exceptionally high.

In the end, 15-year-old Jackie Campbell won the day

and claimed the first of five places in the semifinal.

Tonight the focus is on woodwind.

We'll be hearing five more supremely talented young performers

in this, the second of our category finals,

here at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.

To reach this stage of the competition requires talent,

combined with many, many hours of practice.

All of tonight's competitors will now be hoping to give that winning

performance, which will earn them a place in the semifinal.

Welcome to BBC Young Musician 2016.

Tonight it's all about the girls!

Our all-female line-up includes three flautists,

one saxophonist and a recorder player.

Unlike last week's keyboard final,

we have three very different instruments to hear tonight,

each with their own individual characteristics.

There's also a wide range of repertoire to enjoy,

from Telemann to Dutilleux.

I think we're in for another spellbinding evening of music.

We certainly are, and our finalists will be giving their all

as they continue their challenge for the BBC Young Musician 2016 title.

Woodwind has been represented in the last two BBC Young Musician finals,

a recorder player on both occasions.

But, since the competition began back in 1978,

only three from this category have won the overall title -

oboe player Nicholas Daniel,

clarinettist Emma Johnson,

and ten years ago, Mark Simpson,

also a clarinet player.

If any of tonight's finalists do go on to join that distinguished list,

they'll do so with a new instrument, flute, saxophone or recorder.

One of the really lovely things about BBC Young Musician is

that all the competitors talk about how they've watched it

in the past and have been really inspired.

Ali, you and I took part in this competition

when we were younger and, for me, I used to watch it religiously.

These people were like my heroes.

Yes, I was glued to it, as well.

I remember so clearly when Helen Vollam won the brass final.

I just watched every second of what she was doing.

And, of course, who could forget the amazing Peter Moore

winning the whole competition at the age of 12.

It's so important for a young performer

to have something to aspire to, and for nearly 40 years,

this competition has been just that.

Well, hopefully, some of you at home will be inspired to take up

an instrument or practise even harder after hearing

tonight's brilliant finalists.

This is how they made it to this stage of the competition.

The search for the next BBC Young Musician began last year.

Nearly 450 young people entered across five categories -

keyboard,

percussion,

brass,

strings

and woodwind.

To enter they must be Grade 8 or equivalent,

so the standard is already set high.

It takes months,

sometimes years to really perfect the skills that are required.

One thing in common that the competitors will have

is a determination.

The pressure, I hope, is a positive pressure.

This, of course, is a tremendous platform for them to experience

some of what it is to be a professional musician.

Following two rounds of auditions in front of expert panels,

25 were selected for these finals,

five in each category.

Tonight's finalists are...

..17-year-old Lucy Driver,

the first of three flautists.

I didn't think I'd get this far.

There are so many amazing people that are playing in the concert,

so, I'm just so honoured to be part of it.

I've just really enjoyed having something so big

to work towards because it's really pushed my technique

and my performance skill even further.

17-year-old saxophonist, Jess Gillam.

You may remember her from two years ago,

when she also made the woodwind final.

It's brilliant to be back. I enjoyed it so much last time.

I would say I'm quite competitive with myself.

Even after a performance that I know has gone well,

still I'm not 100% happy and I don't think any musician ever is.

Flautist Marie Sato, who's 15 and based in London.

I feel excited, but then, I kind of feel a bit nervous, obviously,

because then I'll be playing in front of loads of people

and it's probably more than the amount of people

I've played in front of as a soloist,

so it will be a new experience for me but, yes, I'm really excited.

18-year-old recorder player Polly Bartlett, who's from Bournemouth.

It feels surreal, to be honest.

I can't believe that it's finally arrived, but I'm so excited.

There are, of course, some nerves

and seeing all the other contestants here,

it makes you realise it's happening right now,

but as soon as I get on the stage and really get going,

I can't wait. It's going to be amazing.

And, finally, our third flautist of the evening,

15-year-old Joanne Lee,

who comes from South Korea and now lives in Manchester.

I'm nervous, but I'm also really excited

and it's just like I still can't believe that I got this far

and I just want to enjoy myself.

It's an interesting line-up, isn't it, Ali?

None of the usual woodwind suspects are there.

No oboes, no clarinets, no bassoons. What's going on?

I know, it is interesting, but the thing is,

I'm sure that one of the players there, the recorder player,

was probably influenced by these wonderful players

that we had in the last two grand finals.

And saying that, we do have three wonderful flautists

and a fantastic saxophonist that we heard last time

and so there is quite a nice variety of instruments there

and, of course, we did have those instruments in the earlier rounds,

so we'll just wait for them to come through over the years ahead.

Absolutely. Well, there's no doubt that for all of tonight's performers,

this final is the culmination of immense hard work and dedication,

not to mention, of course,

the support of their family and teachers,

many of whom are here in Cardiff to cheer them on

as they face our panel of experts.

Tonight's judges are

Pamela Thorby, a leading recorder soloist and teacher.

We'll definitely see fireworks,

but I also want to see some stillness

and some poetry in their playing.

Adam Walker,

a former woodwind finalist in this competition

and now principal flautist with the London Symphony Orchestra.

I want to see five very different personalities coming through

and a level of technical assurance

which enables the performer to give interesting

and individual performances.

And chair of the jury, composer Dobrinka Tabakova.

Ultimately, what I'll be looking for is that ability

to read the composer's intentions,

to inhabit the music

and to make it their own

in the heightened atmosphere of cameras, audience, action,

to manage to soar above that

and deliver a really effortless performance.

So, that's who our woodwind finalists have to impress.

After months of preparation, the moment is finally here.

And with friends, family and teachers in the audience,

there's a real sense of excitement and anticipation.

So, it's time to meet the first performer in this woodwind final.

And she is 17-year-old flautist, Lucy Driver.

Lucy is in her final year at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester.

I do lots of chamber music.

Working with string players is quite interesting.

As soon as you can share it with other people,

it's much more, sort of, living.

As well as a busy musical and academic schedule,

Lucy's also head girl.

Part of the job involves helping out the younger students.

I'm just helping some of the Year 8s with their prep.

It's quite fun to get to know the younger ones.

And it's just that relationship that I think is really helpful for them,

cos I think they have to grow up

quite quickly when they are at Chet's because it's so busy.

It's nice for me, as well, just to see the other side of the school.

Every few weeks, Lucy returns home to her family near Stroud,

in rural Gloucestershire.

When I come home, it just feels completely different.

The whole landscape and everything is so different to Manchester.

And I don't have the sound of the train station

or some violinist playing in their room next to me or...

You know, just the sounds of the city

and the sounds of the countryside are so different.

I really like the contrast.

Lucy loves coming home just for a little bit of tranquillity.

I think her life at Chet's is very busy

and coming home is a peace haven for her.

Even when she's at home,

Lucy still has to put in quite a few hours of practice.

My family aren't musical at all but they don't push me with my music.

I think it has to come from me, but I find that quite helpful

because I'm not feeling the pressure when I'm at home.

She's worked relentlessly hard to be the best she can be.

Everything she's done has just sort of added to her experience

and her enjoyment of her music.

It's nice when I have to do all my technical practice

just to look out and feel a bit more heartened about it.

And I suppose some inspiration comes from the landscape, as well.

Lucy, tell me what it is about performing that you enjoy so much?

It's just the rush of being on stage

and people appreciating what you're doing

and having worked so hard up to the performance to get it to that stage.

You know, it feels so amazing to just play it

and show what you can do.

And how does it feel

now you've got through to this stage of the competition?

It's going to be so different to any performance I've ever done before

because of all the cameras and sound and everything.

I just think it's such an exciting experience I've not had before.

Opening this woodwind final,

Lucy has chosen to perform an entirely French programme.

First is an elegant suite de trois morceaux by Godard,

which evokes the salons of the Belle Epoque.

I really enjoy playing that because it's the lighter side of the flute.

Music of this time, because it was played in small salons,

it kind of changed music so that it was more intimate

and more subtle, and that, for me, defines the French style.

The first movement is very fun and bubbly,

but the second movement is much stiller.

It's an idyll about the countryside.

It's just so tranquil and beautiful.

APPLAUSE

Lucy continues her all-French programme

with a technically demanding work, Sonatine by Dutilleux.

The music is so idiosyncratic.

Dutilleux was such a perfectionist

and so it's so perfectly, meticulously formed,

so it falls perfectly.

It's just such interesting music to play.

APPLAUSE

A very refined and expressive performance from Lucy Driver,

opening this woodwind final.

Lucy had a lovely cool and calm sense of control on stage,

and I loved her lyrical high notes,

particularly at the end of phrases. It was beautiful.

Lucy had so much presence and so much confidence on stage,

and there were these beautiful lines in the Goddard

that she just carved and sang through.

I'm not really sure how it went, but I'm happy with my performance.

Lucy Driver, giving us incredible virtuosity in the Dutilleux.

I also thought she had a beautiful sense of line in the Goddard.

I thought she had a natural sense of what was happening with the phrases.

I absolutely loved the way she transported us back there.

For me, I was there, I was in the Belle Epoque salon,

I was completely with her.

She obviously loves French repertoire and she's incredibly good

at teasing out its nuances and its elegance. Very, very elegant player.

I wonder, do you think it was varied enough as repertoire goes?

We shall see, let's see what the jury think.

Well, she certainly set the bar incredibly high.

Let's meet our next finalist - 17-year-old Jess Gillam -

who you may remember reached this stage two years ago.

BBC Young Musician 2014 was one of the best experiences

I've had musically.

Being able to watch the performance last time,

being able to watch it back and see where parts went wrong or where

I wasn't as happy with it, that was really useful to be able to do.

Since the competition last time, I've been working on keeping

more control and being able to control a performance more.

So, hopefully, it works out.

To help with her preparations,

Jess has called upon celebrated saxophonist John Harle.

-So, all a little bit more assertive.

-OK.

-OK.

John is mainly about personality.

Everything you play has to be full of character and full of energy.

Jess is possibly the most motivated young person I've ever come across.

Her dedication, her will to work

and her will to understand the music she's playing.

Having left school to concentrate on her music,

she is very active in arranging and promoting

her own annual concert series.

Jess is an instigator. She makes projects happen.

Of all the qualities that a musician needs, there's a toughness,

an ability to learn from your own mistakes,

to keep producing, to keep generating things,

and she does that absolutely all the time.

She's actually a genuine ambassador for the saxophone

and all that the saxophone stands for.

At the weekend, Jess attends the Junior Royal Northern College

of Music in Manchester.

At the moment, I'm working on a concerto

with a symphony orchestra.

I've been working on it for about four weeks

so you really get inside it with a conductor

and you really know all of the orchestral parts.

I'll start at the senior college full-time this September.

I've loved going to the junior college,

so being able to go there and play music more,

and meet other people of other instruments

and that also play saxophone, I'm really looking forward to it.

How does it feel to back again in the category finals?

It's brilliant to be back. I enjoyed it so much last time,

so to be back and doing it again is brilliant.

Would you say that you're competitive with yourself

more than the other finalists?

Yeah, and having last time to compare to is really useful

and the saxophone, it's so different to a recorder or a flute.

Well, every instrument's different

but I just want to go and play

how I enjoy playing and how I'd like to present the pieces.

That's what's most important to me.

APPLAUSE

The first piece is Pequena Czarda by Pedro Itturalde.

It's definitely inspired by the famous Csardas.

It's Hungarian folk music.

It's a really fun piece to play, and quite a dramatic opening.

As a contrast to that flamboyant, Gypsy-style Csardas,

Jess then moves on to a rather melancholic reverie

called Fujiko by Andy Scott.

It's inspired by a Japanese lady called Fujiko.

This beautiful - quite dark in places - emotional tune.

APPLAUSE

The final piece will be the first movement of the Phil Woods Sonata.

It's a piece that fuses the elements of classical music

and jazz music together, and it's a chance to show the jazz side of

saxophone playing and the classical side in one piece, which is great.

APPLAUSE

Jess, ending her programme with a jazz-infused sonata by Phil Woods.

I thought that Jess just owned the stage.

That kind of natural musicianship

is really, really refreshing

and wonderful to see.

Jess had that fantastic, lovely freedom both physically

and musically, as well.

She's an absolute firecracker of a performer.

I absolutely loved the Fujiko, which was magical.

It really, really moved me, and her breath control was incredible.

I can't believe I've finished it,

after months of building up and practising insane amounts,

you know, and going into the pieces in so much detail

and rehearsing and practising, and rehearsing and practising.

I'm glad I've played and enjoyed it.

Jess Gillam. I could just watch her all night.

Such a fantastic performance, such a stylish player,

a consummate musician and a force of nature out there on stage.

-The audience loved her, didn't they?

-They did, they really did.

I heard her two years ago and she was a real frontrunner then,

but now, I'd say she's a complete musician.

I mean, she's like a professional.

To be honest, Clemmie, I was thinking,

"How can I organise a concert with her?" She's amazing.

Oh, I would be in the front row, cheerleading for the two of you!

Now, we've heard two very impressive performances from Lucy and Jess.

Still to come, 18-year-old Polly Bartlett on the recorder

and 15-year-old flautist, Joanne Lee.

First, though, it's another flute player -

15-year-old Marie Sato from London.

Marie is currently joint principal flautist

with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain,

which brings together over 160 of the finest young musicians

from around the country.

I like it because you get to meet everyone else

who's really passionate about music, as well.

And it's really nice to be able to share ideas.

I think it's one of the...

Hopefully, one of the first stepping stones for me

for my professional career as a flautist.

I want to become a professional musician in an orchestra.

Marie's love of musical collaboration

continues at the Henrietta Barnett School where,

in between studying for her GCSEs,

she established a flute duo with her close friend Anna.

I like playing with Anna because I can communicate with her

in a way that words don't won't you communicate.

It's important to be on the same wavelength because otherwise

you wouldn't breathe the same so you'd come in differently.

Your note links would be different so the end would be really messy.

I like the flute because the sound is really nice

and I like the tone of it because it's quite light

but then you can make it really heavy and dark.

Once a week, Marie makes her way to the Royal College of Music

Junior Department where she plays in yet more orchestras and ensembles.

This is what I've prepared.

The Royal College is also home to her teacher, Simon Channing.

I've found his lessons really, really inspiring

because he is really good at playing.

Just...just in general. He's just really good.

Do you know what I mean? Try that. 'She's a very natural flautist.

'She's incredibly quick in terms of working things out.

'You usually have to say something once.'

She's an interesting character because she's self contained and...

I mean, she's very responsive in the lessons.

You'll say something and there'll be quite a serious...

Then you'll say something quirky and she'll just look at you and smile.

Last line, and don't even try and be tasteful. Try and experiment.

There's a very lively sense of humour there,

in spite of the kind of serious work that we're doing.

And it's this work that Marie hopes will help her

as she steps onto the Young Musician stage.

Being in the orchestra, as a flute, you're behind the strings

so you have this bit of a guard between me

and the audience whereas if you're playing a solo piece,

it's quite different and I get a bit nervous sometimes,

and it's quite scary.

But then I also enjoy it because I'm sharing the music

and my thoughts and everything with the audience.

So, I get to convey all my feelings

and the stuff I want to say to them through music.

What do you hope to achieve from being in this competition this year?

It gives you opportunities to perform in front of audiences,

whether it be one judge, or three,

or an entire audience like this time.

And it's also nice because you can get feedback

and you can improve upon what you've done.

Of course, in this competition you're performing as a soloist.

Can you describe some of the differences between playing

as an orchestral flute player and standing on the stage alone?

Playing in an orchestra you have the support of everyone else.

For example, if you're playing in the NYO, then you have the support

of about 160 other people, so it's kind of nice.

Whereas if you're playing on your own then you have to make

the entire piece interesting because you have to provide

all of the colour and the differences in dynamics.

APPLAUSE

So, what should we listen out for in the Hamburger Sonata by CPE Bach?

CPE Bach wrote it after he left the court of Frederick the Great,

and so he wasn't bound by the rules of the court,

so he was free to write long melodic lines and stuff.

Through the music, he conveys a sense of being very free and joyous.

APPLAUSE

Marie moves on now to a mid-20th century piece,

Sonatine by French composer Pierre Sancan.

The opening's quite mysterious, but then, there's little

bits of staccato and stuff and so there's little bits of light in it.

APPLAUSE

Sancan's Sonatine.

A lovely way to end that programme from Marie.

Marie, for her age, is astounding. She has a real talent there.

She seems to just be able to do everything so easily.

For me, she's one to watch.

Marie had such immaculate preparation for her pieces

and she obviously has such huge potential as a player in the future.

Only 15 and can already play the flute like that is incredible.

I felt that went really good, and it was actually really nice

because everyone was there listening to you and, yeah,

it was a really nice supportive atmosphere.

Two wonderfully contrasting works there by Marie Sato.

I loved the way that she played this Parisian piece.

I felt that it was very different,

in the sound world, to the first piece.

I felt that she had really considered that

and her tone quality - incredibly clear and dazzling.

The CPE Bach, I know at this time he demanded of his music

that it touched the heart and awakened the passions.

Let's hope she's done this for the jury tonight.

Indeed. I was struck by the fact that we know that she's a really

experienced orchestral player, and she was nervous about being

a soloist, this isn't something she normally gets to do.

And she was worried about not having anything between her

and the audience but I think she was really enjoying herself out there.

She's a very composed, quite internalised player,

but I thought she brought out, as you say,

really beautiful sound and tone.

There we are, we've heard three of them.

There are still two performers to come tonight.

First, a quick word about the grand final of BBC Young Musician 2016.

This year, it's taking place at the Barbican Hall in London

on the 15th of May.

In the run-up, the three finalists will get to meet acclaimed violinist

and BBC Young Musician ambassador Nicola Benedetti,

herself a former winner of the competition.

And in the final itself, they'll be performing

with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and conductor Mark Wigglesworth.

You'll be able to see the whole thing in full here on BBC FOUR.

Meanwhile, it's back to tonight and the next performer -

18-year-old recorder player, Polly Bartlett.

Recorder player Polly is also an accomplished oboe player...

..but since joining the Combined Cadet Force Band

at Bournemouth School she's picked up yet another instrument.

I actually play the bass drum when we're marching on parade,

which is so different to the oboe and recorder.

I kind of got lugged onto it because they were,

"Oh, you know, you have good rhythm."

It's so different to lots of things I do, even though it is music.

You know, it obviously gives you the military side of things

but I love it and it's great fun.

Being Deputy Captain of the school keeps Polly busy,

but she's found the perfect hideaway to practise the recorder.

She's actually got her own practice room which she took over

shortly after she arrived,

and it's become known as "Polly's Office"

because if anybody's looking for her, that's where we'll find her.

What's lovely about Polly is she's so talented herself

but she's also very, very willing

to help our youngest students and to coach them.

They all aspire to reach her standards, which is lovely.

Polly entered the competition on oboe and recorder

but it's the recorder that earned her a place

in these category finals.

To me, being able to play such amazing repertoire

from early Baroque to some really, really modern stuff,

in all the different kinds of recorders,

there's five different recorders you can play on,

that's an opportunity that you get with a recorder

that you might not get with other instruments.

Polly plays a range of recorders

which will be showcased in her category final performance.

This is the treble recorder and it's used for lots

of the kind of alto, middle range of the recorder family.

It's used a lot in the Baroque period, particularly by composers

such as Vivaldi and Barsanti and even Sammartini.

But it's got a really nice range and not too high, not too low,

which pleases lots of people.

You then also have the sopranino which is the smallest of the family.

I love using this recorder because it's used for all

the kind of flashy, showpiecey, classical period pieces.

It's a lot of fun to play, I'm not going to lie.

Then you've got the descant recorder.

It quite often is written in quite simple melodies

but you can play around with them,

add lots of ornamentation which I really like.

It goes also quite high but it fits in-between

the sopranino and the treble.

'I love playing the recorder.

'To see that reaction when you play to people

'and also to get the sound from'

just what some people class as a piece of wood is, to me,

amazing and I love it.

So, Polly, the recorder has made it through to the grand final

of BBC Young Musician for the last two competitions in a row.

How much did this inspire you to enter?

It really inspired me to enter because I almost didn't think about

the recorder being an instrument in BBC Young Musician,

obviously because for the past two competitions

that was the first time it had appeared.

Being a recorder player myself, seeing them on the television almost

was like, "Wow, I've got to enter and have a chance myself."

And getting to this round is amazing and I just can't wait,

-I'm so excited.

-And, of course, it's hard to compare the different

instruments in the woodwind category final, they're all so different,

but how much do you feel that you're a champion of the recorder

and you have to make it stand up against these other instruments?

I do really want to make people realise that it is

a proper instrument, that you can show so much repertoire,

and that's what I've really tried to show in my programme,

that it's so versatile and there are so many different ways

that you can portray that and that's what I'm really passionate about.

APPLAUSE

Polly begins on the descant recorder

with a piece by the Italian composer, Girolamo Frescobaldi.

'The music itself looks quite simple,

'but the composer would've expected someone to add in their own

'ornamentation and divisions and every performance can be'

different because you can muck around with the timings

and the little added bits and it's great fun, it's really good.

Polly now moves on to the treble recorder,

to play a virtuosic sonata by Francesco Barsanti.

'It really highlights

'the late Italian Baroque side of the recorder repertoire.'

The ornamentation from the Frescobaldi is now completely

written into the part and the music looks much more complicated

and virtuosic.

Polly also performed L'oiseau Du Bois

on the tiny sopranino recorder.

But to end, we're going to hear her in a contemporary piece,

by the German composer Annette Ziegenmeyer.

'I'll be playing completely on my own,

'however I'll be playing into a microphone

'which then goes through a delay box,

'so therefore it sounds like two different recorder players playing.'

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Polly Bartlett, a fantastic showcase for the recorder.

Polly had wonderful stage presence.

She was just so engaging and she really just came out

and presented to everyone.

It was a very confident and polished performance.

It was great to hear the mixture of repertoire that Polly came up with.

It's so nice to hear pieces with electronics,

something a bit different than just the standard pieces with piano.

It was great, I just can't believe...!

I'm kind of lost for words. I had... I was so nervous beforehand

and then, I got there and, actually, after a minute it was all sorted

and I just felt,

"Wow, this is an experience that I'm never going to forget."

And whatever happens, I'm just never going for...

I can't even get my words out!

Never going to forget it, that's for sure.

Yeah, it was brilliant, I loved it.

Polly Bartlett, such a charismatic performer,

so musical, a real joy to watch

and I felt she absolutely had the audience in the palm of her hand.

I loved how she was communicating with us

all the way through that programme and really showing what the

recorder is capable of in all its myriad glories.

That's right, and I thought it was amazing that she was playing music

that spanned nearly four centuries and all the way through

you could hear her personality shining through.

The other thing is, I think that some people think the recorder

just has one personality

and I think with her programming, it was so imaginative.

I thought that was one of the most impressive things actually,

-to take so many risks.

-Really exceptional programme.

Last to perform in this woodwind final

and completing our hat-trick of flautists,

it's 15-year-old Joanne Lee.

Back to looking at Miles Davis today,

what time signature would you give the piece?

MUSIC: All Blues by Miles Davis

-Joanne, what do you reckon?

-6/4?

It's actually like grouping two, three, four bars together

to make a 6/4 bar. Yes, Edmund?

Joanne was born and raised in South Korea.

Four years ago, she moved to Manchester after auditioning

for a place at Chetham's School of Music.

At first, because I, like, travelled on my own

and it's quite a long journey on the plane,

so I was a bit, like, scared and I got homesick a lot.

But then after a bit, like, I got used to it, I made friends

and now, when I go home, I miss school.

Do you remember when I fell out with you guys?

Oh, no, you hated me when I first came.

'It's been really beautiful to see her grow and the imagination'

start to be multicoloured and multifaceted

and for her to start to experiment and use sort of the natural tools

she's got in terms of natural flutastic ability.

Students at the school are encouraged to take part in

chamber music and Joanne has formed her own flute, piano and cello trio.

'I think it's just really exciting to always see what I can do

'with music and also it's pretty interesting

'to see what other people do with their own music.'

It's not just about me and my playing,

it's also I have to listen to other people's playing.

They've worked fabulously together and they sound great

and the independent, creative musician

is starting to really blossom now.

We've had a masterclass with Katherine Bryan last year.

'And I was just amazed by her playing and when I heard that

'I was going to be one of her pupils, I was really excited.'

I already feel like I've learned so much from her.

Good, keep going through.

Katherine Bryan was herself a woodwind finalist

in BBC Young Musician three times

and is now principal flute with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Good, really good. Can the notes be slightly longer?

So it feels just a bit more sinister.

'Teaching Joanne is wonderful cos she's really quick at picking up'

on ideas and I think enjoys the challenge of bringing out

the different characters in the music.

Yes!

'I love performing in front of people so I think'

I would really love to become, like, a soloist in future life.

Now the day of the category finals is here at last, how do you feel?

I'm nervous but I'm also really excited,

and I just, like, I still can't believe that I've got this far.

I just really want to enjoy myself and forget about, like, winning

and just go on stage and I hope the audience

and the jury will enjoy it, as well.

And how different is it to prepare the music

and play in the practice room to being on a stage like that?

Do you have to access a different part of your personality?

When I'm practising in a practice room I kind of just imagine

myself playing in a hall and try and play like as I would on stage.

APPLAUSE

'I wanted a big contrast in my programme

'so I have the Telemann to start off with.

'It's an unaccompanied solo piece.

'I wanted to start off with a solo piece'

so I can set, like, a nice atmosphere and mood.

From Telemann, Joanne now moves to 19th-century repertoire,

playing a romance by Schumann.

Joanne concludes her performance with an atmospheric work

by the 20th century Swiss composer, Frank Martin.

'It's a very dramatic piece,

'very different to most flute repertoire.'

It's really, like, sinister and quite scary

'and it's quite hard with the piano, like, rhythmically.'

APPLAUSE

Joanne's accomplished and confident performance,

bringing this woodwind final to a close.

Hi.

Well done.

First of all, it's such an amazing thing to walk out on stage,

solo performer, and just give out that wonderful performance

of the Telemann. It was a really confident opening.

Joanne has a lot of promise,

I think there's a really strong musician inside there

and there is some very exciting moments to her performance.

There were some beautiful colours in her playing,

really wonderful lines and out of all the flautists,

I felt that her rapport with the accompanist

was probably the most secure.

Yeah, I've really enjoyed it

and the audience was lovely

and, obviously, things can always go better

but I think it was a great opportunity for me.

The last of our five woodwind players this evening, Joanne Lee.

I thought it was a very clever choice, Clemmie,

that she started with Telemann's unaccompanied piece

which made us all silent, you could hear a pin drop in the room

and really drew us in to listening

to the wonderful quality of her sound.

How hard is it, do you think, to be one of three flautists playing

what's fairly mainstream, you know, the cornerstones

of the flute repertoire? How hard is it for them to stand out?

Well, very hard, I think, and she did a really good job.

I think it was nice in a way that we didn't return to that very

French sound world that we'd heard before.

I loved how she navigated her way from that Telemann to the sort of

lush romance of the Schumann

and then ending with that jagged 20th-century sound world.

I really enjoyed that. I know she's a great chamber music player,

she really enjoys chamber music

and I thought you could really feel that.

She had wonderful rapport with her pianist so I don't envy the judges.

We've seen all five finalists

and all really wonderful in their own right.

Here's a quick recap of the performances that we've heard.

Lucy had a really confident stage presence

and she felt very comfortable on stage.

I felt that in the Dutilleux,

she captured a real sense of wonder and discovery

that the piece required so it felt really quite, quite atmospheric.

Jess really grabbed you from the moment she came on the stage

I had to stop looking at my music and my notes and look at her.

There's nothing else to do because she commanded your attention.

Marie obviously has a lot of talent.

She's quite young but already she has a level of assurance

that for her age is really something.

Polly was really engaging

and she was obviously enjoying every moment of that performance.

The Frescobaldi, there was an energy,

a bounciness to the whole piece.

It was very light.

I liked Joanne's playing very much, that lovely lyrical opening

with the Telemann and the leading onto her second piece

which was just... It's such a well-known piece for flute players,

but she just really gave a lovely performance of it.

She has a very, very nice, sophisticated stage presence

already for her age, it's amazing.

They've all done themselves proud tonight

and I'm very moved to think of the amount of work that

they have put in to reach that standard.

The competitors are all here now waiting backstage.

It's incredibly exciting.

Who will make it through to the semifinal

and move one step closer to the title of BBC Young Musician 2016?

Here's Adam Walker with that all-important announcement.

APPLAUSE

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen and mostly,

thank you to all of the competitors.

For us, the jury, it was a real pleasure to see five totally

different but equally strong personalities on stage.

However, we do have to pick a winner

and for us, unanimously,

the competitor with that extra sparkle

and the winner is

Jess Gillam.

APPLAUSE

Jess stood out to all of us in the jury.

She seemed like a pro,

she seemed like she had been doing this for a long time

and it felt really natural to her.

I loved every one of the pieces that she chose

and I think there was a real sense of her personality in the music.

She made it hers.

-ALISON:

-Jess, I'm thrilled for you.

-Thank you very much.

-How do you feel?

-I can't believe it. I can't believe it.

But I'm so happy and I can't wait to play again.

You've so thoroughly deserved it. I mean, you had everyone captivated

-from the second you came out and you started playing.

-Thank you.

What was going through your mind?

I was nervous before I came on and then as soon as I stepped out there,

there was no room in my head to be nervous,

I knew I had to do something on every note,

I knew every note that I played was going to count

and so I had to just hold it

-and just completely focus and I enjoyed it so much.

-Bravo.

-Thank you very much.

-Excellent, great!

-Thank you.

CHEERING

-Well done.

-Thank you.

-Superstar!

-Thank you.

-Superstar.

-Thank you.

Massive congratulations to Jess.

We'll be seeing her again in three weeks' time

when she performs in the BBC Young Musician semifinal,

together with our other four category winners.

They're going to be competing for just three coveted places

in the grand final.

It's been another absolutely inspiring evening.

You can see all of tonight's performances in full,

plus lots more background on the competition on our website,

bbc.co.uk/youngmusician.

We're back next Friday with the percussion final.

We'll leave you with a little taster of that musical treat now.

-But for now, from all of us here in Cardiff, goodnight.

-Goodnight.

I've been watching since I was ten

and I always wanted to get to this stage.

It's a wicked opportunity.

No matter what happens, I'm going to try my hardest.

This is the peak so far.

I'm really looking forward to it.

APPLAUSE

So fast, so impressive.

Absolutely exquisite.

You could tell they were just enjoying the moment

and that's what music's all about.