Cellist Chris Mansfield has been chosen as Kirklees Young Musician of the Year.
Chris, 24, of Shepley, wowed the audience and judges at this year’s Mrs Sunderland Festival at Huddersfield Town Hall.
The former Shelley College student beat 10 competitors to a £1,000 prize and the coveted JW Pearce Trophy.
Chris, who is studying for a post graduate degree in cello performance at the Royal National College of Music in Manchester, opened his set with Schumann’s romantic Adagio and allegro, op 70.
His final piece was the celebrated sonata for cello by Debussy.
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“I didn’t expect to win so was I quite surprised,” said Chris. “The standard of performance was exceptionally high this year.”
It was not Chris’s first time on the Town Hall concert hall stage.
“It’s a great honour because I have played on this stage before when performing with the Kirklees Youth Orchestra,” he said. “I also entered the competition two years ago.
Chris will be sensible with his cash prize putting it towards his study fees.
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“I’d like to keep playing the cello whether in an orchestra, through solo work or teaching,” he added. “I just want to make a living from it.”
Chris will perform at the Last Night of the Festival Concert on Saturday, February 27 from 7pm.
He will be joined by the winners of the choir prize challenge and organist Malcolm Hinchliffe.
Chris said: “I’m going to play the Adagio. It will be nice to perform again. There will be less pressure on me the second time around.”
Mrs Sunderland Festival competition events will continue all week throughout the day and evening.
This will include classes in drama, guitar, ukulele and poetry writing.
A massive Sing Swing and Sign workshop with 800 pupils will give performers the chance to learn sign language on Wednesday.
Meanwhile Chris will also be performing with the in-house orchestra at the Square Chapel Theatre in Halifax on March 20 at 7.30pm.
Yesterday, concert-goers enjoyed a performance by singers from groups including Huddersfield Choral Society and Halifax Young Singers.
Entitled The Armed Man, the show included a laser light display.
