Eleven of the best young musicians in the region compete next week for the coveted title of Kirklees Young Musician of the Year.
The title is one that many up and coming young musicians and singers want to win.
But the fact that this is the 125th anniversary of the newly renamed Huddersfield Mrs Sunderland Festival is likely to make lifting that competition trophy even more special.
Tomorrow, four previous winners of the Kirklees Young Musician title will be centre stage as the festival gets celebrations for that milestone anniversary underway with a concert in Huddersfield Town Hall called, Celebrating Success.
But next Friday (February 21) a group of super-talented young musicians will be in the same hall battling it out to win a £1,000 prize and the J W Pearce Trophy.
The runner-up gets £200.
The class, which is for musicians aged between 16 and 25, is one of the highlights of the 10-day festival giving audiences a chance to enjoy hearing potential stars of the future. It starts at 2pm.
This year’s competitors are one mezzo-soprano and 10 musicians. There are three cellists, two trombone players, a violinist and a viola player plus musicians who play oboe, clarinet and recorder.
Clarinet player Rebecca Goode is from Accrington and is a second year student at Huddersfield University. She was formerly principal clarinet with Lancashire Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Anna Bradburn, from Stoke-on-Trent, is another Huddersfield University student. She plays clarinet and had lessons from an early age with virtuoso player Jill Kemp.
Anna later studied at Chetham’s and hopes to become a professional musician.
Cellist William Robertson is from Holmfirth and a first year student at the Royal Academy of Music. He was formerly principal cellist with the National Children’s Orchestra, Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra and with Kirklees Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Also playing cello in the competition is Chris Mansfield from Shepley.
Chris is a fourth year student at the Royal Northern, following studies at Chetham’s School of Music.
Florence Tompkins plays tenor trombone and is from Cornwall.
She is a prize-winner at the Cornwall County festival and is in her third year at Huddersfield university.
Trombone is also the instrument played by Samuel Barber who is from Huddersfield.
He is now in his second year as principal trombone in the Hallé Youth Orchestra and has been offered scholarship places at Royal Northern, Guildhall and the Royal Academy.
Emma-Margaret Oldfield is a violinist who is from Derbyshire and is in her third year at Huddersfield University. She aims to study for a Masters degree at the Royal Scottish or Royal Welsh Conservatoire.
Also in their third year at Huddersfield are oboe player Emily Taylor and mezzo-soprano Katie Wood.
Katie is from Youlgrave in Derbyshire and has sung at a Royal Academy of Music summer school with Mary King. She aims to study for a Masters degree in Germany.
Cellist Richard Isaac has lived in Kirklees for five years and is in his fourth year at the Royal Northern. Before that he spent five years at Chetham’s School of Music.
Completing the line-up is viola player Megan Jowett, formerly principal viola with Kirklees Schools Symphony Orchestra.
She is a final year student at Birmingham Conservatoire.
