Trinity Musician of the Year 2026 crowned

The Trinity Concert Hall was filled with anticipation last Friday evening as we hosted the final of this year’s Trinity Musician of the Year. What unfolded was an exceptional celebration of musical talent, ambition, and collaboration at the very highest level. Three outstanding Sixth Form finalists took to the stage, each performing a major concerto, accompanied by a unique orchestra of Trinity students performing side by side with members of the London Mozart Players. This powerful collaboration not only created a truly special concert experience, but also raised the level of performance for all involved.

Opening the evening, Lower Sixth Ben (former Steinway Scholar) delivered a commanding performance of Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Tackling one of the most demanding works in the repertoire, he combined technical assurance with musical sensitivity. As adjudicator Benjamin Pope noted, this was a confident and commanding rendition with the virtuosic demands impressively handled, along with plenty of lyricism to contrast with the pyrotechnics.

Next to the stage was Upper Sixth student Brayden who brought energy and colour to Dubois’ Saxophone Concerto. His performance was vibrant, characterful, and engaging, full of flair and musical personality. It was a performance that balanced expressive freedom with impressive technical control.

Lower Sixth student Nathan closed the evening with Vaughan Williams’ Oboe Concerto, offering a performance of remarkable control and expressive nuance. Nathan is a member of the National Youth Orchestra and this year was one of just 40 young musicians to perform at the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year live auditions. During the TMOTY Concerto Final, his beautifully focused tone and natural musicality captured the work’s pastoral character with great sensitivity. The adjudicator praised a performance of style and control, and a real sense of the concerto’s character.

Adjudicator Benjamin Pope spoke movingly at the end of the concert, reflecting on the wider context of music education today. In a time when music provision is often under pressure, he remarked on how music is alive and strong here at Trinity. He also spoke about the immense challenges of the repertoire performed and the difficulty of selecting a winner when all three finalists performed at such a high level. In the end, he announced Nathan as this year’s Trinity Musician of the Year.