In the presence of the four composers and guest advisor Andrew Toovey, conductor Stuart Hazelton, along with our tutor Jo Claire, who held things together brilliantly from the viola desk, guided us through the technical and musical challenges of each piece. All the composers and Andrew were impressed with how much we achieved in the time and those who attended also greatly enjoyed themselves. At the end of the day the orchestra shared their thoughts and the panel met to decide the winner. Balancing everything up, the panel felt Max's atmospheric piece will give us opportunities to think beyond the notes to further develop our musicianship and provde a challenge that we can rise to for a great performance in July 2026. We begin rehesrsing the piece in January and are very much looking forward to working with Max as we prepare for the premier. in the summer.
Max is a composer from London but is currently studying at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. He says his work contains a thread between inscrutability and familiarity, with a desire to fit a conceptual story within his music.
We are extremely grateful to composer Andrew Toovey who advised us throughout this competition, offering his expertise generously and enthusiastically to each of the finalists and to the Selection Panel.
By Max Knight
This piece depicts the idealised versions of ourselves we try to live up to, ignoring the realities of the world. There are times when you need to be patient, serious and reflective; there are times when you need to be impulsive and romantic; and there are even times when you need to be cheerful and funny. All these different personalities are hard for a person to be, especially when you need to be all of these at once, and it can be quite impactful on the human psyche. This work explores the emotional tension of navigating these shifting roles and expresses the inner distress caused by the pressure to be everything at once.
YLSS’s competition for new music is a series of biennial competitions through which we seek to engage with emerging or established composers interested in creating a 10-15 minute piece of high musical quality. The £500 prize will not make its winner rich, but offers an opportunity to work with an enthusiastic orchestra and a renowned composer.
Find out more about how you can support the competition.
