BFS Competitions 2025

The BFS Competitions are a chance for players to showcase their talent, receive feedback from top judges, connect with other musicians, and win brilliant prizes.

This year, we’re excited to introduce a new Flute Ensemble competitive class, and a video round for our Young Artist and Young Performer classes.

We’ll be returning to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for a day of fantastic fluting - a chance to meet other players, listen to brilliant music, and gain valuable feedback on your performing from our expert adjudicators. What’s more, there’s wonderful prizes to be won - including the William Bennett Awards of £2000, £1000 and £500 for the winners of our three solo categories, and the Atarah’s Legacy Fund Memorial Prize, which awards up to £500 to support the musical education of a promising player.

Following on from the success of last year’s workshop, we’ll also be hosting an Adult Players' Workshop - a fantastic opportunity for members to play and learn together in a welcoming environment, explore new pieces, and receive advice from our knowledgeable workshop leaders.

Plus there’ll be trade stands with an array of flutes, accessories and sheet music - a chance to find your next flute, upgrade your kit or discover some new repertoire.

Update: Entry will now close on January 1 2025 at 11:59PM GMT. Read on for the full details, including categories, rules and other important information.

Competitions Overview & Rules

We have prepared a Guidance Document with all the information you need to understand the Competitions categories and what you can get out of the day, as well as the rules and the ins and outs of technical requirements. Download this below:

Categories

Please read the Guidance Document carefully for further instructions and information about each category.

A. BFS School Performer

• Performers aged 13 and under on 31 August 2025 and approximately Grade 5 standard

• 6 minutes performance limit (including breaks between movements/pieces)

• This category is first-come-first-served, with a waitlist

Following the performances for this category, competitors will have the opportunity to have fun playing flute ensemble music together in a workshop led by the category adjudicators, learning a new piece and performing it to an audience at the end of the day.

B. BFS Young Performer

• Performers aged 14-18 on 31 August 2025 and approximately Grade 7 standard

• 7 minutes performance limit (including breaks between movements/pieces)

• The first round of this category is a video round, with shortlisted players then invited to the live final round on February 23 2025.

C. BFS Young Artist

• Performers aged 19-24 on 31 August 2025 and Grade 8 or above in standard

• 8 minutes performance limit (including breaks between movements/pieces)

• The first round of this category is a video round, with shortlisted players then invited to the live final round on February 23 2025.

• NB, Young Artist players can also compete in the Flute Ensemble class at a reduced rate of £20 (normally £30). Just select the last option on the entry form ('BFS Flute Ensemble player entry - Young Artist competitor') on the entry form at the bottom of the page.

D. BFS Flute Ensemble

• Ensembles of 3 to 10 players

• 8 minutes performance limit (including breaks between movements/pieces)

• This category is first-come-first-served, with a waitlist. Each player will sign up individually, stating the name of their ensemble on the application form.

• This category is also open to entrants in the Young Artist class (see above), who can enter at a reduced rate.

Players from this class are invited to combine it with the Adult Players Workshop (at a reduced rate) in the afternoon to create a full day of fluting.

What should you play?

By giving free repertoire choice, the BFS encourages those taking part to explore the diverse and exciting range of music that we have available to us as flute players. This is your opportunity to introduce us to new pieces you’ve discovered, and those you love to play - and to shine a light on works by under-represented composers that you you want to be heard and shared with other flute players.

You can choose to play solo or accompanied repertoire, and there will be BFS accompanists available on the day (who you will book when you make your Competitions entry).

Adult Players Workshop

Following on from the success of last year’s workshop, this year we will again be including an opportunity for adult players to play and learn together in a welcoming environment. There will be a wide range of people to meet, repertoire to share, and things to learn with our great workshop leaders!

How to Enter

Update: We have extended the entry time and entries will now close at 11:59pm GMT on January 1 2025.

The deadline for applying for financial aid through our Sponsor A Player scheme (see below) is 11:59pm GMT on December 2 2024.

Entry Fees

All competitors must be a BFS member at the time of entry and on the day of the Competitions (23 February 2025). Individual membership is from £25 - £35 - to become a member, sign up via our Join Us page.

• School Performer, Young Performer and Young Artist categories: £40

• Flute ensemble class: £30 per member

• Adult player workshop: £25 / £20 for flute ensemble class participants

There is an additional fee for the use of the BFS official accompanist of £25 (which includes a short rehearsal on the day). You can book this when you enter by selecting the option on the entry form.

Prizes

We will announced the complete prizes in due course, but are honoured to share details of our William Bennett Awards and Atarah’s Legacy Fund Memorial Prize below.

William Bennett Prize

The BFS are honoured to award the William Bennett Prize at the BFS Competitions for the second year. We are incredibly grateful to Michie Bennett for entrusting us with this legacy, which will enable us to award this prize for a number of years. As one of the founding members of the BFS, and our President for many years, we cannot think of a better way to commemorate Wibb’s extraordinary life and his profound impact on the flute world.

School Performer 1st Prize - William Bennett Prize of £500

Young Performer 1st Prize - William Bennett Prize of £1000

Young Artist 1st Prize - William Bennett Prize of £2000, and a performance slot at the Just Flutes Festival 2025

Atarah’s Legacy Fund Memorial Prize

Atarah’s Legacy Fund was established shortly before her death, according to her wishes to support the musical education of entrants to the Competitions through the award of a cash prize for a candidate of sufficient merit, musical integrity and potential. Musical integrity is something Atarah particularly wished to encourage, so the panel will be looking for a core musicality, rather than a display of virtuosity. The prize will be available to the value of £500 each year.

The recipient will not necessarily be one of the prize winners in the competition, and will be chosen by the competition adjudicators and BFS Council, where possible supported by members of the Fund Advisory Group. There will be one winner each year for as long as the funds are solvent.

Entrants wishing to be considered for the Prize should make their application using the Prize entry form (which will be sent to all competitors once they have made their entry), indicating how they would use the Prize to further their musical education, for example through lessons, music courses or other educational activities. Winners will be required to write a report for Pan, the BFS journal, on the benefit they received from being awarded the Prize.

Adjudicators

Our brilliant adjudicators will judge the performance categories at the live event on February 23 2025. Everyone who performs will receive individual feedback from them - it’s a wonderful opportunity to learn from leading lights of the flute world.

Their experience spans the flute universe - be it playing in the new Wicked movie, recording for Billie Eilish and Hans Zimmer, exploring folk music, performing with top orchestras, or teaching at the Royal Academy of Music!

For full adjudicator bios, visit our judges page:

School Performer category

Catherine Handley
Catherine teaches at Cardiff University and was a tutor at the Young Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama for 20 years. She has a freelance career playing chamber music; recent orchestral work has been with the English Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra de Cymru and Ensemble Cymru, amongst others. She score-reads for televised concerts and has released a number of solo recordings.

Dr Julie Maisel
A flutist, educator and academic, Dr Julie Maisel is a lecturer in flute performance at the TU Dublin Conservatoire. An active soloist and avid chamber musician, she has presented concerts across Europe, performed with orchestras in the US and Ireland, and played at NFA Conventions. Her published output can be found in professional journals, and in 2018 she released her debut CD.

Young Performer category

Joss Campbell
Joss’ playing has taken her all over the world as soloist, orchestral and chamber musician, pit player and educator. Based in London, where her teaching is in great demand, she has recently published a series of flute warm-up books, enthusiastically received by players around the world. Joss studied at the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall and was principal flute with the European Youth Orchestra.

David Cuthbert
David’s varied freelance career has included playing Guest Principal Flute with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia and many others. He also deputises in the West End for the Lion King, Wicked and Les Miserables. He played on Gary Barlow’s No 1 album ‘Music Played by Humans’ and in the last 10 years has recorded for over 150 films, TV series, computer games and commercials, including Barbie, Paddington 3 & the new Wicked film. He is also a committed teacher who tutors at several schools.

Young Artist category

Laura Jellicoe
Laura is Principal Flute with the English Symphony Orchestra and plays as Guest 1st or 2nd flute with orchestras like The Hallé, BBC Symphony Orchestra and London Mozart Players. She has broadcast on radio and TV many times, and can be heard on a number of recordings. She previously taught at Chetham's School of Music and in 2021 became a Professor of Flute at the Royal Academy of Music. She also teaches flute and chamber music at the Royal Northern College of Music and runs the annual Grasmere Flute Retreat.

Rowland Sutherland
Rowland enjoys an international career in many fields of music, and plays and guests in jazz groups, new music ensembles, improvised music, symphony orchestras, non-Western groups, pop outfits, and as a soloist. He has collaborated with numerous esteemed Jazz and World Music artists, and recorded for pop artists and producers like Hans Zimmer, Billie Eilish, Incognito and George Benson. He’s played with many leading orchestras, and his acclaimed composition Enlightenment was featured at James Lavelle's Meltdown Festival. He lectures at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and tutors at Goldsmiths and the University of Southampton.

Flute Ensemble category

Carla Rees
Carla Rees has developed an international reputation for her innovative work and in 2021 was appointed the first Professor of Low Flutes and Contemporary Flute at the Royal Academy of Music. Her multi-faceted career encompasses performance, collaboration, recording, composing, arranging, editing and teaching. Carla leads rarescale Flute Academy, an acclaimed flute ensemble for university students, young professionals, and advanced amateurs, currently collaborating with a number of composers to create new repertoire.

László Rózsa
László Rózsa has a versatile career as a recorder player, researcher, and educator. He is a principal player with Scotland’s Dunedin Consort and a founding member of the chamber groups Ensemble 1604 and Scots Baroque, exploring new music, improvisation, and folk styles. As a researcher, his primary interest is the stage behaviour and interaction of performers in various musical cultures. In the autumn of 2023 he took up a lectureship and the position of Director of Performance at the University of Nottingham.

Testimonials from past competitors

Volunteer

To help ensure the day runs smoothly we will need some help. If you would be willing to volunteer some time at the event, please get in touch by emailing competitions[at]bfs.org.uk.

FAQs

Entry Form