Three Instruments, One BBC Young Musician Final

A recorder, a saxophone and a violin will compete for the BBC Young Musician 2026 title when the final reaches television and radio audiences on November 1. Alma Nunez Debretzeni, Kezia Colton and Sofia Demetriades have emerged from the competition’s semi-final to become its three finalists.

Nunez Debretzeni, 17, is from St Albans and studies at Parmiter’s School and the Royal Academy of Music’s Junior Department. Colton, 18, is from London; after studying at the Royal College of Music’s Junior Department, she recently began a course at the Paris regional conservatoire’s Ida Rubinstein institution. Demetriades, also 18, comes from Leicestershire and studies at the Royal Academy of Music and Beare’s Chamber Music.

Their selection was revealed during the semi-final broadcast on October 25. That round, featuring five competitors, had been recorded in July at Swansea University’s Bay Campus. The final itself was recorded at Bristol Beacon on October 15, so the November programme is a broadcast event rather than a live competition still to take place.

Each finalist performs a concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Alpesh Chauhan. Petroc Trelawny presents the programme, continuing his role across the televised rounds.

Pianist and composer Joanna MacGregor and conductor Ben Gernon are joined on the final jury by Errollyn Wallen, the Master of the King’s Music. Their decision concludes a process that began with hundreds of entries.

The final is scheduled for 7–9pm UK time on Sunday, November 1, on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Sounds. With three contrasting instrumental voices represented, the concluding round will bring different traditions of solo playing into the same orchestral setting and before the same panel.