0:00:02 > 0:00:05Over the past three weeks we have seen some of the UK's
0:00:05 > 0:00:08most exciting musical talent on stage
0:00:08 > 0:00:11here at the Royal Welsh College Of Music And Drama in Cardiff.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15There's been some exceptional playing
0:00:15 > 0:00:18and the winners have been decided in the keyboard category.
0:00:21 > 0:00:22Jackie Campbell.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25APPLAUSE
0:00:25 > 0:00:27The woodwind category.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31Jess Gillam.
0:00:31 > 0:00:32APPLAUSE
0:00:32 > 0:00:35And, in last week's exhilarating percussion final,
0:00:35 > 0:00:39it was 16-year-old Andrew Woolcock who took the prize.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44APPLAUSE
0:00:48 > 0:00:50Tonight, the focus is on brass.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Something that my co-presenter knows a little bit about.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55It's BBC Young Musician 2016.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Today is a big day for our five brass finalists
0:01:22 > 0:01:25and, having taken part in the competition myself,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29I remember only too well the feeling of anticipation and nervous energy.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31But it's a great opportunity for them
0:01:31 > 0:01:34and we get to hear some of the best young brass players in the country.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37There is also some intriguing music in tonight's final.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39I think we're in for a real treat.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42If it lives up to the standard of the competition this year so far,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45we certainly are. Tonight, we have two trumpets players,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48two trombonists and a French horn player,
0:01:48 > 0:01:52all hoping to follow in the footsteps of this category's illustrious former winners,
0:01:52 > 0:01:54including, of course, this one.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58For nearly four decades, BBC Young Musician
0:01:58 > 0:02:01has been showcasing Britain's brightest musical talent.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06But, following the success of trombonist Michael Hext,
0:02:06 > 0:02:09who won the very first competition back in 1978,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11only two others from this category
0:02:11 > 0:02:14have gone on to win the overall title.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27French horn player David Pyatt was victorious in 1988.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29And, 20 years later,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33the astonishingly talented 12-year-old trombonist Peter Moore
0:02:33 > 0:02:36became the competition's youngest ever winner.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43But we're still waiting for the first trumpet player
0:02:43 > 0:02:46to win the overall title. Maybe this year?
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Before meeting tonight's brass hopefuls
0:02:48 > 0:02:51and, as we're only two weeks away from finding out
0:02:51 > 0:02:53the name of the next BBC Young musician,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56let's take a quick look forward to what's still to come in the series.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Next Saturday, it's the semifinal when our five category winners
0:03:01 > 0:03:04compete for just three places in the grand final.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Those three will have a chance to be mentored by Nicola Benedetti,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12former BBC Young Musician winner and the competition's ambassador.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16At the final, which will be held this year at London's Barbican Hall,
0:03:16 > 0:03:20they'll each perform a concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
0:03:20 > 0:03:22and conductor Mark Wigglesworth.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25And you'll be able to see the whole thing on BBC Four.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28And if you've been enjoying this series so far,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31you can watch the performances from the first three category finals
0:03:31 > 0:03:33in full on our website.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Regardless of who wins the title,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39the real prize in this competition I think is the opportunity
0:03:39 > 0:03:42to play a concerto with a leading professional orchestra
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and top conductor. You were just a teenager when you took part
0:03:45 > 0:03:46in the grand final in 1998.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49How formative an experience do you think that was for you?
0:03:49 > 0:03:51For me, it was an incredibly steep learning curve.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55I'd never played with an orchestra before, so that was immense.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59I would also say for my career it was undoubtedly a springboard
0:03:59 > 0:04:01and I learned how to become a brass soloist.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03They are, obviously, under a lot of pressure,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06but their dream is to become a professional musician.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08So, is that pressure sometimes a good thing?
0:04:08 > 0:04:11I think it is a lot of pressure. I think it can be good.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13This is a very nurturing environment,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16from which they can learn a lot of very useful skills.
0:04:16 > 0:04:17And, after all, as performers
0:04:17 > 0:04:20we're only ever as good as our last concert.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23A big concert ahead for our five brass finalists.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Let's meet them.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Gemma Riley, 17-year-old trombonist from Wigan.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33I was really, really pleased when I found out.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36I didn't expect to even get this far.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Whatever happens, I'm really pleased to get here.
0:04:44 > 0:04:4718-year-old trumpet player Zak Eastop from London.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52Honestly, I didn't think I'd played that well in the last round.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55So, getting an e-mail telling me I had,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57I read through it five or six times,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59then made someone else read through it
0:04:59 > 0:05:01so I was sure it said what it said.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06From Hertfordshire, 18-year-old horn player Ben Goldscheider.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11I think it's a great platform to show what the horn can do.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15There are so many colours that can be achieved.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18I think the sound is really something quite magical.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Zoe Perkins, a 17-year-old trumpet player from Huntingdon.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28It's just an amazing experience
0:05:28 > 0:05:30and I've never really done anything like it before.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33It's intense, but in a really good way
0:05:33 > 0:05:36and I feel like I can take a lot from it, definitely.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41And the youngest of our brass finalists,
0:05:41 > 0:05:4516-year-old trombonist Sam Dye from Leicestershire.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48These four other brass players today,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50they're all marvellous, they're all incredible.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53I think it'll be close.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55It would be amazing to win,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57but, even if I don't, to get this far has made me very happy.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04What do you think tonight's finalists have to show us?
0:06:04 > 0:06:06I think the most important thing is that they show
0:06:06 > 0:06:08they have charisma on stage.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11It's quite different to be a brass player in an ensemble
0:06:11 > 0:06:14than to be on the stage just on your own or with your accompanist.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Stamina is also a huge thing for brass players
0:06:16 > 0:06:17and the first thing that goes
0:06:17 > 0:06:19when you're under pressure is your breathing.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23That sounds pretty nerve-racking, being too nervous to breathe.
0:06:23 > 0:06:24What about repertoire?
0:06:24 > 0:06:27They don't have as many choices as the keyboard or the strings.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30That's true, but you can absolutely make this
0:06:30 > 0:06:33into an opportunity to play a newer repertoire
0:06:33 > 0:06:36and forge new paths as a brass player with interesting programming
0:06:36 > 0:06:40and really using that vocal side of the instrument to express yourself.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43So, lots for the judges to consider.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Tonight's judges are
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Philippe Schartz, soloist and principal trumpet
0:06:50 > 0:06:52of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56I am looking for a statement, somebody really telling us a story.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Music is all about emotions.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Music is all about really saying,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04"That's what I'm passionate about. I want to express myself."
0:07:04 > 0:07:06That's what I'm looking for.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Pioneering French horn soloist
0:07:09 > 0:07:12and member of the Berlin Philharmonic, Sarah Willis.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15You can smell it on someone if they're a great performer or not.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17You are so happy when one comes,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21it makes you go from sitting like this to sitting like that.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25And chair of the jury, composer Dobrinka Tabakova.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30I think you just see someone who feels comfortable on stage
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and manages to say everything they want to say
0:07:33 > 0:07:36and not let the moment get to them.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Kind of have that drive,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41have that determination that goes beyond the moment
0:07:41 > 0:07:43that is a competition.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46So that's who our brass finalists have to impress.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53We're minutes away from the beginning of tonight's
0:07:53 > 0:07:56category final, and the wait is very nearly over
0:07:56 > 0:07:58for our five brass finalists.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02First to perform, it's 17-year-old trombonist, Gemma Riley.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Following in the footsteps of 2008 winner Peter Moore,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Gemma is one of two of tonight's finalists
0:08:19 > 0:08:22to go to Chetham's School Of Music in Manchester.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27I started the tenor horn when I was six
0:08:27 > 0:08:30and went on to trombone when I was nine, I think.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34I changed because my mum played trombone
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and it's a more versatile instrument.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40There's a lot of brass banding in my family.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43My dad plays the euphonium and my mum plays the trombone.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47So, I can remember going to competitions with them.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53As well is studying at Chetham's,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Gemma is also a keen brass band player
0:08:55 > 0:08:58and every week she makes her way to Bolton
0:08:58 > 0:09:00to play with Wingates Brass Band.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07I really enjoy brass band.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11It probably sounds a bit cheesy but it's a nice community and stuff.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Everyone knows everyone and stuff, so that's really nice.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23I joined Wingates less than a year ago.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28I always wanted to play with a championship section band.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31I think Wingates has really brought on my playing,
0:09:31 > 0:09:35playing with a higher section band, playing with people around me.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38They're really good players and that's really helped.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46For me, the big thing that Gemma actually has
0:09:46 > 0:09:49is she's very cool for somebody so young under pressure.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Particularly when we're in competitions,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54she does extremely well.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59I like performing. That is really exciting.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02I don't get that nervous.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05If I tell myself more that I'm excited,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08then you don't get as nervous.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11On top of her other commitments, Gemma has really been putting in
0:10:11 > 0:10:13the hours as she prepares to compete
0:10:13 > 0:10:15in this BBC Young Musician brass final.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21The competition's going to be a great experience, I think,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24just to play on a big stage
0:10:24 > 0:10:29and master a whole 16 minutes of a performance.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36I think once you get to know a piece,
0:10:36 > 0:10:40that helps with not reading the technical aspect of it.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42By then, I'll just think about the music
0:10:42 > 0:10:44and communicating with the audience.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Gemma, how does it feel now the day
0:10:52 > 0:10:54of the category finals is here at last?
0:10:54 > 0:10:55It's really exciting.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00I can't wait to go out on the stage and perform it.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01Is BBC Young Musician something
0:11:01 > 0:11:03you've grown up watching, or is this new to you?
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Yeah, I watched Peter Moore win.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07That was a big inspiration.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12He's come into Chet's recently to do a masterclass with us,
0:11:12 > 0:11:13which was really good.
0:11:13 > 0:11:18What do you hope to say to the jury as a musician with your repertoire?
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Cos I'm playing two pieces that are really different styles,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24hopefully show the different styles of the trombone
0:11:24 > 0:11:26and hopefully show my musicality.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Gemma opens this brass final now with what's thought to be
0:11:32 > 0:11:35the oldest work in the solo trombone repertoire -
0:11:35 > 0:11:40La Hieronyma composed by Giovanni Martino Cesare in 1621.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43And it's played here with harpsichord and cello continuo.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32APPLAUSE
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Moving forwards several centuries now,
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Gemma takes on a 20th century work - Jacques Casterede's Sonatine.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Casterede was a French composer.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49You play in a French style.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51So there's lots of vibrato.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51APPLAUSE
0:20:52 > 0:20:5617-year-old Gemma, with two wonderfully contrasting works
0:20:56 > 0:20:58to open this brass final.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05I really liked Gemma's choice of repertoire tonight,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07I thought it was a really original opener.
0:21:07 > 0:21:08She was possibly a little bit nervous,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12there were some intonation issues, but she just sailed through that.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16Her lyrical playing was amazing, absolutely beautiful control.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Her performance was absolutely fantastic,
0:21:18 > 0:21:19there's a lot of potential there.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21She needs to communicate a little bit stronger
0:21:21 > 0:21:23with the audience from the start.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25I think it went really well.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27It was different to how it was in the rehearsal,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30but it was...it was all right. It was a nice audience.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35My heart is in my mouth for all of these competitors,
0:21:35 > 0:21:37but she seemed very confident and really assured on the stage.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39How do you think she handled that repertoire?
0:21:39 > 0:21:43I thought she handled it really well, I was worried she might be a bit nervous.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45As you say, she's so used to playing in ensembles,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47it's a very different sort of pressure out here,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50and to have to go on and be first, I think in the brass category,
0:21:50 > 0:21:51somehow, is even harder than normal.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55I loved her...particularly her slow movement in that second piece.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57I thought she handled it really beautifully,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00incredibly lyrical, very musical, really sustained, beautiful tone.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02I think she did really well,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- it was a lovely way to start the competition.- I think it was.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Next to face our expert panel and the first of two trumpet players
0:22:07 > 0:22:11in this brass final, it's 18-year-old Zak Eastop.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18BAND PLAYS JAZZ PIECE
0:22:21 > 0:22:22For trumpet player, Zak,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25jazz was the music that made the first impression.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28I first discovered the trumpet growing up in a house
0:22:28 > 0:22:30where Chet Baker, Clifford Brown
0:22:30 > 0:22:33were, you know, constantly being played through the stereo.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40His early interest led to an informal brass initiation.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45His first horn was a toy horn, it was in the toy box
0:22:45 > 0:22:48and it was made of a bit of garden hosepipe
0:22:48 > 0:22:51and a part of an old horn,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54and that was just thrown casually into the toy box
0:22:54 > 0:22:56and it got played a lot.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Zak's dad, a professional musician,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01started giving him lessons on the French horn,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03but he soon moved on to the trumpet.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09My dad is one of the biggest musical influences on my life.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11He has taught me a way of practising
0:23:11 > 0:23:13which is so efficient and so useful,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16and a way of looking at a piece of music,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20not as just notes on a page, but as conveying meaning.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26For the past nine years, at the weekends, Zak has studied
0:23:26 > 0:23:29at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Junior Department,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31where he's discovered a whole breadth of music.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Guildhall has totally changed my life, it's amazing.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40My mind was opened to the world of music,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43because, before that, I'd only really done jazz.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48And I was around people who were doing what I was doing
0:23:48 > 0:23:50and who were equally driven by what I was doing
0:23:50 > 0:23:52and I found that totally, artistically liberating,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and I still do, I find it incredible that I'm surrounded
0:23:55 > 0:23:57by these really talented musicians.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Zak is principal cornet of the Junior Guildhall Brass Band.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07I love it, I absolutely love it
0:24:07 > 0:24:09and I've never NOT loved it in nine years.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Despite his musical talent,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18he's decided to study French at university.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21HE SPEAKS FRENCH IN CLASS
0:24:21 > 0:24:23'There is a link between music and between languages.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26'They share so many skills as well.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28'So, for example, getting your tongue around phonetics.'
0:24:28 > 0:24:31If you're already used to, like on the cornetto, for example.
0:24:31 > 0:24:32I mean, I'm going...
0:24:32 > 0:24:34HE IMITATES RAPID TONGUE MOVEMENT
0:24:34 > 0:24:35..underneath the mouthpiece.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- So... - HE REPEATS MOVEMENTS
0:24:38 > 0:24:41That kind of thing. So... Changing that into something like,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43"Qu'est-ce que tu veux, mon vieux, d'envie,
0:24:43 > 0:24:44"on fait ce qu'on peut, parce que..."
0:24:44 > 0:24:47it's the same kind of gymnastics in your mouth.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52I love the trumpet.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56I love the fact that it kind of fuses physicality and musicality.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00I mean, basically, what it is, it's plumbing.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02I mean, all that is is some piping
0:25:02 > 0:25:05with a small valve system in the middle.
0:25:05 > 0:25:06So, it's kind of taming,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09taming nature in terms of basically playing my boiler.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13And, also, trumpet players are the coolest, as well,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16we're the coolest in the orchestra, obviously, everyone wants to be...
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Everyone wants to date the trumpet player.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Zak, you've been working on your repertoire with your dad,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28has he given you any last-minute advice?
0:25:28 > 0:25:29Yes, he has.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32In fact, I had a rehearsal with him a few days ago.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35And, as always, he absolutely took it apart
0:25:35 > 0:25:37and put it all back together again.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41And, I mean, the work that he does is very, very minute detail, so...
0:25:41 > 0:25:43I mean, it's really useful.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Tell us about your relationship with your accompanist?
0:25:45 > 0:25:50I am a big believer that, if it's a recital, it's not a solo,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53you're not on your own, you're with another person.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57And we have worked and worked and worked on the entire rep,
0:25:57 > 0:26:02so it should sound, you know, like we're one unit, hopefully!
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Zak has chosen a bold, cinematic piece to open -
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Escapades by John Williams, played on the flugelhorn.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15The John Williams was written for the film Catch Me If You Can,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17which was a saxophone concerto,
0:26:17 > 0:26:19so it presents its own challenge of this is alien,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22because it's not written for my instrument.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00APPLAUSE
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Zak's second piece is a sonata
0:29:04 > 0:29:07by another contemporary American composer, Eric Ewazen.
0:29:08 > 0:29:09You just have to sit back
0:29:09 > 0:29:13and think of huge expansive landscapes, with, like,
0:29:13 > 0:29:16buffalo running across a plain, and all that kind of thing.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34From 21st-century America,
0:32:34 > 0:32:40Zak now heads back to 1950s France for an impromptu by Jacques Ibert.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25APPLAUSE
0:34:30 > 0:34:3418-year-old Zak, ending his very stylish programme with flair.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44Zak came out and did a Chet Baker, he's a real entertainer
0:34:44 > 0:34:46and an all-round performer,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49and I love the way the audience just sat back in their seats and enjoyed.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53Zak, he is bold, he's got character, he really is there to entertain
0:34:53 > 0:34:55and I think that is really important,
0:34:55 > 0:34:56especially in classical music.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59When we see a young performer that really entertains like that,
0:34:59 > 0:35:01it kind of, like, it grabs your attention.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04As far as I'm concerned, I've done as well as I possibly could,
0:35:04 > 0:35:05which is what I came here to do.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07In the end, I didn't come here to win,
0:35:07 > 0:35:10I came here to play the best concert I physically could
0:35:10 > 0:35:11and I think I have.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16- Ali, how was that for you? - I really enjoyed it,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19I have to say, I was enthralled by his flugel playing.
0:35:19 > 0:35:20I absolutely loved it
0:35:20 > 0:35:23and I was just kind of held in every note he played,
0:35:23 > 0:35:25I was, like... I was really, really listening.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29Um, I thought it was an interesting programme, I wanted to hear more
0:35:29 > 0:35:32of his C trumpet playing, which he did at the end, such a short and...
0:35:32 > 0:35:34- It was too short, wasn't it? - Yeah, it was too short,
0:35:34 > 0:35:36but incredibly in command of the instrument.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40And very confident on stage, which is, as we were saying earlier,
0:35:40 > 0:35:44very important with the breathing, he seemed incredibly prepared.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48I thought his chemistry with his accompanist was electric,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51they were just, like, as one throughout the entire programme.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- Yeah.- I think he should be very proud.- Very impressive.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56She did turn to me after the first piece and go,
0:35:56 > 0:35:58"That was really hard."
0:35:58 > 0:36:00Well, we've now heard from two of this year's
0:36:00 > 0:36:02brass category finalists.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04Still to come, our second trumpet player of the evening,
0:36:04 > 0:36:0517-year-old Zoe Perkins,
0:36:05 > 0:36:07and the youngest competitor performing tonight,
0:36:07 > 0:36:0916-year-old trombonist, Sam Dye.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11But, next, it's tonight's French horn player,
0:36:11 > 0:36:1318-year-old Ben Goldscheider.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25A-level student Ben, from Hertfordshire,
0:36:25 > 0:36:27is just as at home on the football pitch as in the music room,
0:36:27 > 0:36:31having once played for the Tottenham Hotspur Academy.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36I've played football almost from the age of four.
0:36:37 > 0:36:38I play centre back
0:36:38 > 0:36:40being the big lump at the back of the field.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46It's definitely about shouting at everyone else
0:36:46 > 0:36:48and making sure they're doing what I want.
0:36:50 > 0:36:51When I was about 14,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54I had to make the decision between sport and music,
0:36:54 > 0:36:57and I think with the vision I had with music,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00it was something I really wanted to achieve, and I think although
0:37:00 > 0:37:03it was a very difficult decision, I think it was the correct one.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06BEN PRACTISES ON HORN
0:37:10 > 0:37:12Ben is from a family of musicians, we're all musicians.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14The only time there's no music going on in the house
0:37:14 > 0:37:17is when all the lights are off and we're all fast asleep,
0:37:17 > 0:37:19but, other than that, every waking minute of the day,
0:37:19 > 0:37:21some music is happening in the house.
0:37:24 > 0:37:29I've never once had to say, "Ben, please go and practise," he is in...
0:37:29 > 0:37:32He's on cloud nine when he's practising his horn.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35A day off for him is a day practising.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41The thing I love about the horn the most is its sound.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43There are so many extended techniques
0:37:43 > 0:37:45and so many colours that can be achieved,
0:37:45 > 0:37:48and I think at the same time as it sounding very, very modern
0:37:48 > 0:37:51and very kind of fun and exciting,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54there's just this beautiful, mellow tone that it will always have.
0:38:05 > 0:38:06On Saturday mornings,
0:38:06 > 0:38:09Ben makes his way to the Royal College of Music Junior Department
0:38:09 > 0:38:11for lessons with Sue Dent.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13His technique is really robust.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15You know, he's robust as a character as well,
0:38:15 > 0:38:17he just doesn't flinch.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19He just wants to excel at everything he does
0:38:19 > 0:38:21and, by and large, he does, you know.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24So, he's just really up to the mark all the time.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26So, it's fantastic.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29SUE SINGS GENTLY
0:38:29 > 0:38:31The last three winners of BBC Young Musician
0:38:31 > 0:38:33also studied at the Junior Royal College of Music
0:38:33 > 0:38:36and Ben's hoping to emulate their success.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38They've really inspired me
0:38:38 > 0:38:40in terms of what they're now doing with their careers.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43You know, it's an amazing opportunity to win this competition.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45I think everything's a journey
0:38:45 > 0:38:46and let's see what happens with this one.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55How does it feel now the day of the category finals is here at last?
0:38:55 > 0:38:59It's very exciting to be, you know, playing in the BBC Category Final.
0:38:59 > 0:39:00I've watched this competition for years,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03I remember sitting in my pyjamas when Pete Moore won
0:39:03 > 0:39:05and he was maybe only a year older than me, thinking,
0:39:05 > 0:39:06"How on earth do they do it?"
0:39:06 > 0:39:08And so, you know, to be here is a great feeling.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12What will you feel when you're standing at the side of the stage, ready to go on?
0:39:12 > 0:39:15Uh, I used to have a massive problem with playing on stage
0:39:15 > 0:39:17and, you know, playing as a soloist,
0:39:17 > 0:39:20and when I kind of realised it's what I want to do,
0:39:20 > 0:39:22I tried various ways of trying to combat it
0:39:22 > 0:39:24and now I'm just going to go out there and enjoy myself
0:39:24 > 0:39:25and see what happens.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30Well, Ben opens his programme with an unaccompanied etude
0:39:30 > 0:39:34by the Finnish composer and conductor, Esa-Pekka Salonen.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36APPLAUSE
0:39:36 > 0:39:37I think the Esa-Pekka Salonen
0:39:37 > 0:39:39is a great piece to showcase the versatility
0:39:39 > 0:39:42and the different colours that the horn can produce.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45There are so many parts in the music where people just don't know
0:39:45 > 0:39:46where the sounds are coming from it.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49It seems quite ethereal, other times, it couldn't be more obvious.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51There's kind of, at the same time, a blank canvas,
0:39:51 > 0:39:54with which the performer can just do what they want.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15In complete contrast to Salonen's virtuosic showpiece,
0:43:15 > 0:43:18Ben moves now to a romance by Saint-Saens.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36APPLAUSE
0:46:36 > 0:46:39Ben has chosen to end his programme with the third movement
0:46:39 > 0:46:42of English composer York Bowen's sonata.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45I think in the York Bowen, the biggest thing about it
0:46:45 > 0:46:48is the relationship between the horn player and the pianist.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50And that's kind of reflected in the writing,
0:46:50 > 0:46:51and it's a real interaction,
0:46:51 > 0:46:55you know, how the instruments work together and a richness of harmony and sound.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:48:59 > 0:49:0218-year-old Ben, with a programme designed to show the full range
0:49:02 > 0:49:04and possibility of the horn.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12What an opener, Salonen from memory,
0:49:12 > 0:49:15the score for that is just so complicated
0:49:15 > 0:49:17and the techniques are so varied...
0:49:17 > 0:49:19It's good to have pieces like that
0:49:19 > 0:49:21because they extend what an instrument can do
0:49:21 > 0:49:24and he showed all of the aspects of what the horn can do in that piece.
0:49:24 > 0:49:26It was really very impressive.
0:49:26 > 0:49:31Ben, I am absolutely, literally and - excuse the pun - BLOWN away.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33The control of all the dynamics there was amazing.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35Then he plays a lyrical piece like the Saint-Saens
0:49:35 > 0:49:37and it's just simplicity, fantastic.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40And what presence on stage, he just comes, he smiles
0:49:40 > 0:49:42and he plays, it's wonderful.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44As a horn player, it's so often that we sit there
0:49:44 > 0:49:47and we listen to every tiny detail and we get nervous for them.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51With Ben, I just sat back and enjoyed, he did a fantastic job.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53I think with the kind of circumstances
0:49:53 > 0:49:56and the pieces that I chose, I don't think I could be happier.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58You know, a few notes here and there,
0:49:58 > 0:50:00but it'll be the same for everyone, so, no, I'm pleased.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05So, Ben says he loves the sounds that the horn can produce,
0:50:05 > 0:50:07from modern and fun to beautiful and mellow,
0:50:07 > 0:50:09and I thought he did that terrifically well.
0:50:09 > 0:50:10He completely owned the stage
0:50:10 > 0:50:13and I thought these three pieces suited him brilliantly,
0:50:13 > 0:50:16and such a courageous start with his Esa-Pekka Salonen.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18Yeah, I loved the acrobatics in that piece.
0:50:18 > 0:50:20I had no idea that the French horn could even do that,
0:50:20 > 0:50:22so it was really a treat to hear that
0:50:22 > 0:50:25and then move in to something a bit more romantic and traditional with the Saint-Saens.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28He is an all-rounder as a person, we know he's a brilliant footballer,
0:50:28 > 0:50:31he's got lots of wide interests outside of music
0:50:31 > 0:50:33and I really felt that you could get a sense of that
0:50:33 > 0:50:34from his personality on the stage.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37Fantastic first half we've had here
0:50:37 > 0:50:38and two more performers still to come.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41But, first, I caught up with the chair of the jury,
0:50:41 > 0:50:42Dobrinka Tabakova, earlier,
0:50:42 > 0:50:45to get her thoughts on the competition so far.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49So, Dobrinka, we're halfway through the week,
0:50:49 > 0:50:50how's it going for you so far?
0:50:50 > 0:50:54Amazing, I've had the best time and just inspired every evening.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56I feel like I'm in one of those page-turner novels,
0:50:56 > 0:51:00where you just want to find out who the next character's going to be,
0:51:00 > 0:51:01what's going to happen next
0:51:01 > 0:51:03and what's going to happen in the end as well.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06Overall, have you been impressed by the standard this year?
0:51:06 > 0:51:08Hugely, hugely. The decisions have been really tight.
0:51:08 > 0:51:10Everyone has something really special
0:51:10 > 0:51:15and it was just really difficult to make decisions and just...
0:51:15 > 0:51:17everyone's so good!
0:51:17 > 0:51:19As a composer, you are all about new music,
0:51:19 > 0:51:21about the creation of this future.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23Have you been inspired by the people you've seen this week?
0:51:23 > 0:51:25Hugely, it's a really inspirational week
0:51:25 > 0:51:27and I'm so grateful just to see
0:51:27 > 0:51:32the best that these young musicians can do, brought on stage,
0:51:32 > 0:51:34and it's such a privileged position to be in,
0:51:34 > 0:51:37and I am willing them on all the way through.
0:51:37 > 0:51:41I don't feel like I'm there to judge what they're doing,
0:51:41 > 0:51:43I feel that I'm there to support them
0:51:43 > 0:51:47because they are my future voice, all musicians are composers' voices,
0:51:47 > 0:51:49so they are my voice and I want all of them to do well,
0:51:49 > 0:51:51and I'm sure that they will.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54So, can you sum up what, as the chair of the jury,
0:51:54 > 0:51:55you're really looking for?
0:51:55 > 0:51:58For me, it's always about communication.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02I have to feel like the person on stage is creating a world
0:52:02 > 0:52:04and they're welcoming me into that world.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07I trust that their technique is impeccable.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09I know they wouldn't be here if it wasn't.
0:52:09 > 0:52:14So what I want to see is a world where I, as an audience member,
0:52:14 > 0:52:18am welcomed in and they just create that and fly away with it.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23Dobrinka Tabakova there, who, together with her fellow judges -
0:52:23 > 0:52:25Philippe Schartz and Sarah Willis -
0:52:25 > 0:52:26will be making tonight's decision.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28Hoping to impress them next,
0:52:28 > 0:52:30it's the second of our trumpet players -
0:52:30 > 0:52:3217-year-old Zoe Perkins.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44Zoe studies at Hinchingbrooke School
0:52:44 > 0:52:46and despite it not specialising in music,
0:52:46 > 0:52:48the school's jazz fusion band gives her a chance
0:52:48 > 0:52:51to collaborate with her fellow students.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56I really enjoy playing with the fusion band, because, I mean,
0:52:56 > 0:52:58there's such a great selection of players.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01Everyone loves what they're doing and everyone loves the pieces,
0:53:01 > 0:53:03so there's a constant enthusiasm.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06BAND PLAYS JAZZ FUSION PIECE
0:53:06 > 0:53:09It's effectively kind of a jam session,
0:53:09 > 0:53:12but a really well-structured rehearsal at the same time!
0:53:20 > 0:53:22And it's her love of collaboration
0:53:22 > 0:53:24that's led to Zoe striking up a partnership
0:53:24 > 0:53:26with Marie-Noelle Kendall,
0:53:26 > 0:53:29her accompanist and a former Young Musician finalist in 1982.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36Some players do their own thing and just expect the accompanist
0:53:36 > 0:53:39to follow them, so it doesn't really matter who's playing for them,
0:53:39 > 0:53:41but, with Zoe, it is important.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43She's that kind of instinctive player as well.
0:53:44 > 0:53:48We play very well together. We don't have to talk a lot in rehearsals.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55And I think once you have that musical connection, it's kind of...
0:53:55 > 0:53:59You subconsciously know what the other person's going to do.
0:54:04 > 0:54:05Once you have that gel,
0:54:05 > 0:54:09I think it just makes everything so much easier.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12Zoe gets the chance to gel
0:54:12 > 0:54:14with 163 of the finest young musicians in Britain
0:54:14 > 0:54:17when she plays with the National Youth Orchestra.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20ORCHESTRA PLAYS DRAMATIC PIECE
0:54:28 > 0:54:32I learn so much from my peers, and my section, they're just amazing.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35With the sheer kind of scale of the orchestra and the sound,
0:54:35 > 0:54:37it was just the most incredible experience.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39And I think once you've been in the orchestra,
0:54:39 > 0:54:43you understand that it's a mixture of everything that makes NYO so good
0:54:43 > 0:54:45and everyone wants to do it to the absolute best.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52One of the main sources of inspiration
0:54:52 > 0:54:54is definitely people around you kind of saying,
0:54:54 > 0:54:57"Oh, have you heard this? Oh, listen to this, it's amazing,"
0:54:57 > 0:55:00and, um, kind of making ensembles with people
0:55:00 > 0:55:04and playing music and arranging music for friends.
0:55:05 > 0:55:06At the weekends,
0:55:06 > 0:55:09Zoe studies at the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16It's really nice being at the Junior Academy
0:55:16 > 0:55:19because everyone loves what they're doing and everyone wants to do well.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22It's really depressing when you leave in the evening
0:55:22 > 0:55:25because you've kind of got to wait another week to go back.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30Just being at the Junior Academy and being in the orchestra
0:55:30 > 0:55:33kind of just encouraged me to... I didn't kind of...
0:55:33 > 0:55:36I decided that I wanted to do that for, like, the rest of my life.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45Zoe, as we know, playing the trumpet as a solo instrument's
0:55:45 > 0:55:47quite different from playing with your friends
0:55:47 > 0:55:49or playing chamber music, how is it for you?
0:55:49 > 0:55:51I feel like you have to have
0:55:51 > 0:55:54a kind of whole new level of confidence as a soloist.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57And it's not only really about how well you play,
0:55:57 > 0:56:00it's also about how you come across and stage presence
0:56:00 > 0:56:03and how much faith people have in you
0:56:03 > 0:56:06just from the way you look and seem on the stage, I think.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09Do you feel that you perform in a very different way
0:56:09 > 0:56:11if you're using the music or playing from memory?
0:56:11 > 0:56:14Yeah, it's not impossible, but it's a lot harder to...
0:56:14 > 0:56:18be fully, kind of in the music and really kind of expressive
0:56:18 > 0:56:21when you have the music there with you.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24Cos for my opening piece, I'm using the music as a prompt,
0:56:24 > 0:56:27but I've really focused and worked on coming away from the music
0:56:27 > 0:56:31and having it to the side so it's just a prompt, really.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35APPLAUSE
0:56:35 > 0:56:38To begin her programme, Zoe's chosen music by the French composer,
0:56:38 > 0:56:41Joseph Edouard Barat.
0:56:41 > 0:56:42I chose the Barat
0:56:42 > 0:56:45because I feel like it's a really good announcement piece
0:56:45 > 0:56:48and I feel like it really announces the presence of the trumpet immediately,
0:56:48 > 0:56:50which is what I'm going for.
0:59:52 > 0:59:55Zoe moves on now to the haunting and dramatic Legende
0:59:55 > 0:59:58by the Romanian composer, George Enescu.
0:59:58 > 1:00:01It sounds so French and Impressionistic.
1:00:01 > 1:00:06I feel like I can express myself through this piece perfectly.
1:00:06 > 1:00:08So, yeah, I love it.
1:02:40 > 1:02:43APPLAUSE
1:02:43 > 1:02:46And Zoe closes her programme with a highly emotive prayer
1:02:46 > 1:02:50by the Armenian-American composer, Alan Hovhaness.
1:02:50 > 1:02:54There's an opportunity to create the most electric atmosphere.
1:02:54 > 1:02:56It's the perfect way to end the programme
1:02:56 > 1:02:59because it's so peaceful and contemplative.
1:06:30 > 1:06:33APPLAUSE
1:06:34 > 1:06:37That meditative Prayer Of St Gregory,
1:06:37 > 1:06:39a very moving way for Zoe Perkins to close
1:06:39 > 1:06:41her brass category final performance.
1:06:48 > 1:06:52Zoe had a fantastic stride and sound and such a powerful sound as well,
1:06:52 > 1:06:54it really was very, very engaging.
1:06:54 > 1:06:57Sometimes on the fast passages she can maybe slow down a little bit,
1:06:57 > 1:07:00so it's more clear and more clarity,
1:07:00 > 1:07:02and sometimes less is a little bit more,
1:07:02 > 1:07:04but she has a great presence on stage
1:07:04 > 1:07:06and she can really sing through that trumpet.
1:07:06 > 1:07:09Zoe is a lovely performer, a fantastic trumpet player,
1:07:09 > 1:07:11and, at such a young age,
1:07:11 > 1:07:13we're going to be hearing a lot more from her, I'm sure.
1:07:13 > 1:07:15She walked out there, she sounds great.
1:07:15 > 1:07:16Really enjoyed it.
1:07:16 > 1:07:19It was really enjoyable and the acoustic was amazing,
1:07:19 > 1:07:21and I was actually quite emotional.
1:07:21 > 1:07:23Um, I can't comment on the standard of the performance,
1:07:23 > 1:07:26but I really enjoyed it.
1:07:28 > 1:07:31Well, I just thought Zoe did a marvellous job there.
1:07:31 > 1:07:33I think she chose her repertoire so intelligently,
1:07:33 > 1:07:35it suited exactly what her style is.
1:07:35 > 1:07:37- Mm.- And it really brought out the best of her abilities.
1:07:37 > 1:07:39I thought she was...
1:07:39 > 1:07:41I thought she was breathing a little bit high in her chest
1:07:41 > 1:07:43because she was so nervous, but, despite that,
1:07:43 > 1:07:47she was able to convey who she was and I loved her.
1:07:47 > 1:07:49I completely agree, I absolutely loved that performance
1:07:49 > 1:07:52and I was thinking about what you were telling us earlier,
1:07:52 > 1:07:54about how a brass performer in particular
1:07:54 > 1:07:55really needs to create that aura
1:07:55 > 1:07:57and fill the stage with their charisma,
1:07:57 > 1:08:00and I just felt she totally did that, especially in the Enescu,
1:08:00 > 1:08:02which just mesmerised me.
1:08:02 > 1:08:04Ali, I know that it's a favourite of yours,
1:08:04 > 1:08:05you've just recorded it with Tom Foster,
1:08:05 > 1:08:07what did you make of her performance?
1:08:07 > 1:08:10I thought it was wonderful. I think the piece, it's...
1:08:10 > 1:08:11It's called Legende, it's a story.
1:08:11 > 1:08:14It's beguiling and it leads us on a journey,
1:08:14 > 1:08:17and I thought she had us absolutely held captivated
1:08:17 > 1:08:19for the whole piece, I thought... She was marvellous.
1:08:19 > 1:08:23Yeah, I-I thought, I was sort of holding my breath at one point, I was like, "Breath."
1:08:23 > 1:08:26Exactly. Last to perform in this BBC Young Musician Brass Final
1:08:26 > 1:08:29is our second trombonist of the evening, 16-year-old Sam Dye.
1:08:34 > 1:08:37One, two... Ah, one, two, three, four...
1:08:37 > 1:08:40BAND PLAYS SWING PIECE
1:08:40 > 1:08:45Sam Dye, from Ashby, first picked up a trombone aged just three.
1:08:48 > 1:08:50Both my parents are brass teachers,
1:08:50 > 1:08:53so one day my dad brought home a trombone.
1:08:56 > 1:08:59Little Sam says, "What's that, Daddy?"
1:08:59 > 1:09:01I said, "Oh, that's a trombone."
1:09:01 > 1:09:03He says I'm going to play that crombone.
1:09:03 > 1:09:06"Crombone", he couldn't even say trombone!
1:09:06 > 1:09:10About five minutes later I heard this parp-parp parp...
1:09:10 > 1:09:13I thought, "What's that?" I went in the kitchen
1:09:13 > 1:09:17and he'd got the trombone out himself and away he went.
1:09:23 > 1:09:26As soon as he put a trombone on his lips, that was it.
1:09:26 > 1:09:28We knew that was the one. That's your instrument.
1:09:33 > 1:09:36Playing in a band with my mum and dad is a great thing.
1:09:36 > 1:09:38Still hearing my dad today is fantastic
1:09:38 > 1:09:42because he's got such an incredible range and sound and style.
1:09:42 > 1:09:45It's just so nice to hear him play and it just proves to me that
1:09:45 > 1:09:47he really does know what he's talking about.
1:09:47 > 1:09:49Even though I can't admit it to him!
1:09:52 > 1:09:54It's quite extraordinary.
1:09:54 > 1:09:58Your son sat there in front of you playing better than you do.
1:09:58 > 1:10:01- That's the bit I don't like! - SHE LAUGHS
1:10:06 > 1:10:09Sam is the second of tonight's finalists
1:10:09 > 1:10:12to study at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester,
1:10:12 > 1:10:15where he and fellow trombonist Gemma are both taught by Rob Burtenshaw.
1:10:18 > 1:10:22Sam, as a trombonist, has an old head on young shoulders.
1:10:22 > 1:10:24He seems very experienced.
1:10:24 > 1:10:28He's got a very mature sound and approach and technique.
1:10:32 > 1:10:36Sam has a very positive effect on the whole team, really.
1:10:36 > 1:10:39And he's pushing the boundaries of musicianship
1:10:39 > 1:10:42and technique all the time.
1:10:42 > 1:10:45HE GROWLS THROUGH TROMBONE
1:10:45 > 1:10:47ROB CHUCKLES
1:10:47 > 1:10:49At Chetham's, the standards are very high.
1:10:49 > 1:10:52We've got seven great trombone players,
1:10:52 > 1:10:55so it's always inspiring you to improve,
1:10:55 > 1:10:58to keep up with people because obviously they're like stars.
1:10:58 > 1:11:01You're like, "Wow, I want to sound like that."
1:11:07 > 1:11:10The reason I love the trombone is for its versatility.
1:11:10 > 1:11:11And it really captures me
1:11:11 > 1:11:14when I hear it doing something really beautiful.
1:11:14 > 1:11:16That's what I'm trying to do,
1:11:16 > 1:11:19I'm trying to get in between the solo stuff, the orchestral stuff.
1:11:19 > 1:11:22I'm trying to do it all because I just love it all so much.
1:11:28 > 1:11:30What is it about the trombone that you love so much?
1:11:30 > 1:11:34- It's an incredibly versatile instrument of course.- That's it.
1:11:34 > 1:11:36The versatility of it really excites me.
1:11:36 > 1:11:41I find it fantastic, the way it can just change not only between styles
1:11:41 > 1:11:45but between voice, tone, everything can change. It's gorgeous.
1:11:45 > 1:11:48How do you feel now the day of the category finals is here at last?
1:11:48 > 1:11:51It's been a long run up to it. It's been like, "This is my goal,
1:11:51 > 1:11:53"I've got to focus, I've got to get it nailed."
1:11:53 > 1:11:58Now it's here. For a start, it's like, "Ooh, it's this week. Oh, no."
1:11:58 > 1:12:02But then today it's like, "No, it's cool, I've done the work.
1:12:02 > 1:12:05"I've got to chill and try and play my best."
1:12:06 > 1:12:08With the piece Basta,
1:12:08 > 1:12:11Sam's decided on an unusual opening for his programme.
1:12:11 > 1:12:16I can imagine just being in the audience like, "What's going on?"
1:12:16 > 1:12:18APPLAUSE
1:15:29 > 1:15:31APPLAUSE
1:15:32 > 1:15:35From the playful and comic, Sam now takes us
1:15:35 > 1:15:38to a completely different realm in Romance by Debussy.
1:17:39 > 1:17:41APPLAUSE
1:17:41 > 1:17:44And there's more French music to close Sam's programme.
1:17:44 > 1:17:46The Piece in Eb minor by Guy Ropartz,
1:17:46 > 1:17:49known as one of the most difficult works for the trombone.
1:17:49 > 1:17:52And, of course, it's the end of the concert.
1:17:52 > 1:17:55To finish on a top Eb is like, "Ooh!"
1:17:55 > 1:17:58But, hopefully, the stamina should hold out and it'll be OK.
1:21:27 > 1:21:29APPLAUSE
1:21:31 > 1:21:35The very engaging 16-year-old Sam Dye bringing to a close
1:21:35 > 1:21:38another hugely impressive category final.
1:21:43 > 1:21:45Sam, another showman of the evening.
1:21:45 > 1:21:50I think the brass players are really coming out as a theatrical species
1:21:50 > 1:21:52of the musical family this evening.
1:21:52 > 1:21:54So it is really nice to see him
1:21:54 > 1:21:56start with such a confident and theatrical piece.
1:21:56 > 1:21:59Sam rushed on-stage and he started playing straight away,
1:21:59 > 1:22:02and that's exactly what the composer wanted.
1:22:02 > 1:22:04He really sold that piece to us, he nailed it,
1:22:04 > 1:22:06he made us listen, he made us laugh.
1:22:06 > 1:22:10Fantastic control, a really wonderful trombone player.
1:22:10 > 1:22:12I think the audience really enjoyed Basta.
1:22:12 > 1:22:15I think they were a bit surprised by the start and the end.
1:22:15 > 1:22:18I just hope they enjoyed the various styles that were played
1:22:18 > 1:22:21and they seemed to, from where I was stood.
1:22:24 > 1:22:28Sam Dye really bringing the audience onside right from the moment
1:22:28 > 1:22:31he literally ran onto the stage to perform that Basta.
1:22:31 > 1:22:33I think he has such a lovely quality to his playing.
1:22:33 > 1:22:35We know how much he loves the trombone
1:22:35 > 1:22:37and I thought that really came across.
1:22:37 > 1:22:40That last work from an outsider's point of view
1:22:40 > 1:22:42just feels like such a feat of stamina.
1:22:42 > 1:22:45- What would that have been like for him?- Yeah, I think it really was.
1:22:45 > 1:22:48I think he did a tremendous job and, as you say,
1:22:48 > 1:22:50right out the gates, he was so playful.
1:22:50 > 1:22:52He had us in the palm of his hand.
1:22:52 > 1:22:57I feel that the romance was gorgeous, that it was very sultry.
1:22:57 > 1:23:00It showed us the beautiful tone he's capable of making.
1:23:00 > 1:23:04I wondered if he just focused too much on pacing himself
1:23:04 > 1:23:05in this last piece because, actually,
1:23:05 > 1:23:08we don't care about the notes, we want to hear the musicianship
1:23:08 > 1:23:10and that was absolutely evident all the way through.
1:23:10 > 1:23:13I feel that he could probably have let go even more,
1:23:13 > 1:23:16but, of course, all of us brass players, we obsess over stamina
1:23:16 > 1:23:19so it's natural he would be pacing himself in the programme.
1:23:19 > 1:23:20Well, there you have it.
1:23:20 > 1:23:22How on earth this jury are going to choose one winner,
1:23:22 > 1:23:26I don't know. Here's a quick reminder of tonight's performances.
1:23:32 > 1:23:35Gemma, I thought she was so fantastic when she came on.
1:23:35 > 1:23:36She played so lyrically.
1:23:40 > 1:23:41She was so refined when she played
1:23:41 > 1:23:44and it just sort of like popped out of her trombone.
1:23:44 > 1:23:46It was absolutely fantastic.
1:23:52 > 1:23:55Zak is so confident on stage and he obviously loves to perform
1:23:55 > 1:23:56and that really came through.
1:24:01 > 1:24:04His technique, especially in the high register, was so clean
1:24:04 > 1:24:06and he just hit those notes really well.
1:24:10 > 1:24:13When Ben came out, he just made me feel so at ease.
1:24:13 > 1:24:15He was so in control of his playing.
1:24:23 > 1:24:25To play this Esa-Pekka Salonen study
1:24:25 > 1:24:29as the very first piece was absolutely mind-blowing.
1:24:35 > 1:24:37Zoe is absolutely fantastic.
1:24:37 > 1:24:39Her flamboyancy when she plays
1:24:39 > 1:24:43and her dynamic contrasts are fantastic on the trumpet.
1:24:43 > 1:24:45She has the colours, she has the performance,
1:24:45 > 1:24:46she has the stage presence
1:24:46 > 1:24:48and she has absolutely super technique as well.
1:24:51 > 1:24:55When Sam rushed onto the stage and started playing immediately,
1:24:55 > 1:24:57I thought, "Oh!" It was a really impressive start
1:24:57 > 1:24:58to grab everybody's attention
1:24:58 > 1:25:01and that's what we need to do as performers.
1:25:07 > 1:25:11He's a master technician, he's got an incredibly fluid
1:25:11 > 1:25:13and fast left hand with all his slide work
1:25:13 > 1:25:16and a beautiful, beautiful trombone sound.
1:25:18 > 1:25:21'Tonight was just an evening of highlights'
1:25:21 > 1:25:25and really just celebrating brass all night long.
1:25:26 > 1:25:29Well, I'm here backstage now with the competitors,
1:25:29 > 1:25:31who are waiting anxiously for the results.
1:25:31 > 1:25:32Who will be our fourth winner
1:25:32 > 1:25:37and move one step closer to the title of BBC Young Musician 2016?
1:25:37 > 1:25:40Here's Sarah Willis with that all-important announcement.
1:25:40 > 1:25:43APPLAUSE
1:25:44 > 1:25:49Hi, everyone. We hope you've had as amazing an evening as we have.
1:25:49 > 1:25:53Dobrinka, Philippe and I were unanimous in choosing the winner.
1:25:53 > 1:25:57The winner for us was really the most incredible performer,
1:25:57 > 1:26:02musician, technician right from the very start
1:26:02 > 1:26:05and we are very, very happy and proud to announce
1:26:05 > 1:26:12that the winner of the BBC Young Musician 2016 Brass Final is...
1:26:13 > 1:26:15..Ben Goldscheider.
1:26:15 > 1:26:17CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
1:26:37 > 1:26:40I think Ben overall was just such a rounded musician.
1:26:40 > 1:26:42He made mature choices for the programme,
1:26:42 > 1:26:46really ambitious choices, but he carried them through.
1:26:46 > 1:26:50It was absolutely astonishing and we were blown away by his performance.
1:26:52 > 1:26:54- How did you feel? - I felt really good, actually.
1:26:54 > 1:26:56I had a really positive feeling about it.
1:26:56 > 1:26:58I was really nervous about an hour before
1:26:58 > 1:27:01and then I kind of was walking down here and I was about to go onstage
1:27:01 > 1:27:03and I thought, "You know what, what more can I do?
1:27:03 > 1:27:05"I've practised hours and hours."
1:27:05 > 1:27:07With brass playing, you can worry about splitting notes
1:27:07 > 1:27:10and I thought, "I'm not going to be able to prevent that
1:27:10 > 1:27:12"so I might as well go for it, split a couple
1:27:12 > 1:27:14"and make it exciting as opposed to being safe."
1:27:14 > 1:27:16- Well done, you must be thrilled. - Yeah, I am.
1:27:17 > 1:27:19I'm so proud of you!
1:27:19 > 1:27:20Mwah!
1:27:23 > 1:27:26- I'd better book my train ticket, hadn't I?- Yeah.
1:27:30 > 1:27:32Well, it's been another thrilling night in Cardiff.
1:27:32 > 1:27:34Massive congratulations to Ben.
1:27:34 > 1:27:36He will be joining us in the BBC Young Musician semifinal.
1:27:36 > 1:27:39You can see that next Saturday here on BBC Four
1:27:39 > 1:27:41together with the four other category winners.
1:27:41 > 1:27:44They'll be competing for three places in the Grand Final.
1:27:44 > 1:27:47And you can see all of tonight's performances in full,
1:27:47 > 1:27:48plus much more, on our website:
1:27:48 > 1:27:51bbc.co.uk/youngmusician
1:27:51 > 1:27:52Join us again next week
1:27:52 > 1:27:55when we have five wonderful string players all hoping
1:27:55 > 1:27:58to win their category and that all-important place
1:27:58 > 1:28:00in the semifinal of BBC Young Musician 2016.
1:28:00 > 1:28:02We'll leave you with a little taster.
1:28:02 > 1:28:04- BOTH:- Goodnight.
1:28:04 > 1:28:06We know from the history of this competition
1:28:06 > 1:28:09that the standard's incredibly high.
1:28:09 > 1:28:12All the musicians will have put in unbelievable hours and sacrifice.
1:28:12 > 1:28:17This is a huge opportunity. It's so important for them.
1:28:17 > 1:28:20A lifetime never seems enough to perfect the violin.
1:28:20 > 1:28:23You sort of validate all those hours in the practice room.
1:28:23 > 1:28:27I've been counting the days. Now I've reached zero and it's fabulous.