We are delighted that two of our students have reached the category finals of the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2018 competition.
Eliza Haskins, 14, is through on the recorder, and Torrin Williams, 17, on the guitar. Both students will take part in the televised rounds of the competition, which will be shown on BBC Four during March with complementary coverage on BBC Radio 3.
Eliza was born in Devon and has been playing the recorder since she was eight. She joined The Purcell School in 2013 and is currently in Year 9. She plays in many chamber groups, the School’s Baroque Orchestra, and often with friends in her spare time. Alongside the recorder, which she studies with Barbara Law, she also plays the flute and piano. While at home in Devon, Eliza loves walking her dogs.
Torrin started playing the guitar when he was seven and hopes to become a professional concert artist. He joined The Purcell School in 2016 and studies both classical and jazz guitar. When he’s not playing the guitar, he is working towards his A Levels in Maths, Physics and Music. Torrin is also leader of the National Youth Guitar Ensemble (NYGE) and recently performed a solo guitar programme at Wigmore Hall on behalf of the School.
The Purcell School enjoys a distinguished history with the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. Previous Purcell winners have been oboist Nicholas Daniel, and pianists Lara Melda and Martin James Bartlett. Alexander Ridout also won the BBC Young Musician Jazz Award 2016.
We are incredibly proud of Eliza and Torrin, and of all the Purcell students who competed in the earlier rounds, and wish them every success as they progress through the competition.
For more information about the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2018, please visit www.bbc.co.uk/youngmusician.
