Meet the BBC Young Musician of the Year

Teenage violinist Sofia Demetriades has been named winner of BBC Young Musician 2026.

The 18-year-old won the first all-female final of the competition's 48-year history.

Young Musician of the Year began in 1978 and is open to musicians aged 18 and under.

Out of several hundred video applications, recorder player Alma Nunez Debretzeni (17) from St Albans, and saxophonist Kezia Colton (18) from London also reached the final.

Sofia, who was born in Leicestershire performed Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, accompanied by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

Young Musician of the Year is open to keyboard, string, percussion, brass and woodwind players.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason,who won in 2016, is one of the competition's most famous winners.

This year forty musicians were selected to take part in live auditions which led to eight reaching the quarter-finals, which took place on Sofia's birthday!

The final took place at the concert hall, Bristol Beacon in front of the judges - pianist and composer Joanna MacGregor, conductor and broadcaster Ben Gernon, and composer and Master of the King's Music, Errollyn Wallen.

Each of the three finalists performed a work accompanied by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

Kezia Colton played Takashi Yoshimatsu's 1994 Cyber Bird Saxophone Concerto, while Alma Nunez Debretzeni performed Graham Fitkin's Recorder Concerto.

But it was Sofia's performance of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto which impressed the judges most.

"I am so honoured and thrilled to have been a part of BBC Young Musician," Sofia said.

"I loved playing in the quarter-final on my eighteenth birthday.

"I didn't think I could top that, but to go on to be crowned winner is my absolute dream!"