2019: Young Artist

For a solo performing artist or chamber ensemble, relatively new to the profession, who has shown remarkable promise and made a strong impression in the UK between January 2018 and June 2019.

Castalian String Quartet

Panel citation: Thoughtful, intelligent music-making at the highest level. The Castalian String Quartet have a strong identity, sound and style, and it’s great to see them getting out and connecting with audiences nationally through Britain’s precious network of music societies, bringing such consistency to a broad repertoire from Thomas Adès to blazingly fresh Haydn.

Also shortlisted:


This year's Young Artists Award was decided by an independent panel drawn from across the music profession comprising:

  • Caro Barnfield, Head, Britten-Pears Young Artists Programme, Snape Maltings
  • Manus Carey, Deputy Director, Performance and Programmes, Royal Northern College of Music
  • Oliver Condy, Editor, BBC Music Magazine
  • Rakhi Singh, violinist / Music Director, Manchester Collective
  • Sean Shibe, guitarist

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