On Saturday February 17, we welcomed talented players to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for our flagship annual event, the Competitions. Read on for a recap and full list of prize winners!

Carla Rees leads the Adult Amateur Players’ workshop

On Saturday 17 February, the 2024 BFS Competitions took place at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. This year we were able run our three categories at the same time thanks to the amount of space made available to use at the RBC - and were treated to a day of beautiful music from all our talented competitors.

Our trade exhibition also allowed visitors to try instruments and browse the latest gadgets and sheet music - with stands including Just Flutes, Wessel Flutes, Schott Music and piccolo headjoint maker Fergus Davidson.

BFS Council Trustee Liz Wrighton addresses the audience

In addition, there was a lunchtime concert featuring several of 2023’s Competitions winners - we enjoyed performances of CPE Bach’s Sonata in A Minor by Young Artist Winner Cyrus Lam, Sancan’s Sonatine by Young Performer Winner Joseph Geary, and the first movement of Poulenc's Allegro Malinconico by School Performer Winner Mayukhjit Chakraborty. We also ran a workshop for Adult Amateur players under the leadership of Carla Rees, which brought together ensemble playing, solo performances, and a discussion of flute-playing tips and ideas.

This year, the Competitions judges were Susan Torke and Jane Spiers-Keelan (School Performer), Fraser Gordon and Vourneen Ryan (Young Performer), and Eliza Marshall and Gareth Davies (Young Artist).

2024 had a bumper crop of prizes, thanks to the new William Bennett Prizes, as well as the Atarah’s Legacy Fund Memorial Prize, and generous donations from Pearl Flutes, Just Flutes, June Emerson Wind Music, All Flutes Plus, New Moon Insurance, Forton Music, Wonderful Winds, ALRY, Tetractys Publishing, Furore Verlag, and the Musician’s Answering Service. We were also extremely grateful for the support of our category sponsors Yamaha (School Performer category), All Flutes Plus (Young Performer category) and ALRY (Young Artist category).

On behalf of all us at the BFS, a huge thank you to everyone who sponsored categories and donated prizes - and in particular to Michie Bennett for entrusting us with Wibb’s legacy, which will enable us to offer generous prizes for several years to help support talented young players.

Thank you also to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for hosting; our brilliant adjudicators; our wonderful accompanists Richard Shaw, Jo Sealey, Adam Johnson, Charles Matthews, and Colin Druce; our trade exhibitors; our Adult Amateur Flautists' workshop leader Carla Rees; the BFS Council for all your hard work; and everyone who came to watch and support!

Finally, a huge congratulations to all our winners - and well done to all the talented musicians who treated us to such magical playing!

Competitions 2024 Prizewinners

School Performer - Sponsored by Yamaha

School Performer winners with judge Susan Torke

1st Prize - Eli - the William Bennett Prize of £500, & the opportunity to perform at a BFS event

Eli played Coleman, Legends (1st, 2nd, and 4th movements)

2nd Prize - Pin-Chieh and Alexandra - £125 Just Flutes voucher

Pin-Chieh played Reinecke, Concerto (3rd movement)
Alexandra played Harbach/Kern, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Harris, With a Hint of Lime

3rd Prize - James - £50 June Emerson Wind Music voucher

James played Rachmaninov, Vocalise and Gossec, Tambourin

School performer judges Susan Torke and Jane Spiers-Keelan lead a workshop for School Performer participants

Highly Commended - Ariel and Theo

Ariel played Chopin, Variations on a Theme by Rossini
Theo played Rutter, Suite Antique (1st movement)

Young Performer - Sponsored by All Flutes Plus

Young Performer winners with judges Fraser Gordon and Vourneen Ryan

1st Prize - Emme - William Bennett Prize of £1000, & the opportunity to perform at a BFS event

Emme played Gade/Christiansen, Tango Fantasia

2nd Prize - Erika - £200 All Flutes Plus voucher & the Newmoon Insurance Services Ltd Prize of a £125 voucher to spend at Just Flutes

Erika played Gade/Christiansen, Tango Fantasia

3rd Prize - Josie - £50 Forton Music voucher & £30 Wonderful Winds Music voucher

Josie played Harty, In Ireland

Highly Commended - Annie and Kiera

Annie played Lancaster, Au Lapin Agile
Kiera played Gaubert, Nocturne et Allegro Scherzando

Pearl Prize - Neo - a Pearl Flutes PFP-105E piccolo

Neo played Rutter, Suite Antique (3rd and 4th movements)

Young Artist - Sponsored by ALRY Publications

Young Artist prize winners with judges Eliza Marshall and Gareth Davies

1st Prize - Sarah Furnell - William Bennett Prize of £2000, & the opportunity to perform at a BFS event

Sarah played Takemitsu, Voice

2nd Prize - Daisy Noton - ALRY Prize of £150 towards a flute service, £150 towards a lesson or flute course, a year's membership to the BFS and The National Flute Association, and a bundle of ALRY Publication music; and the Newmoon Insurance Prize of a £125 voucher to spend at All Flutes Plus

Daisy played Carter, Scrivo in Vento

3rd Prize - Stratford Ryan - £50 Tetractys Publishing voucher & €50 Furore Verlag voucher

Stratford played Heath, Coltrane

Highly Commended - Cliodhna Scott, Ruby Howells, Sam Frith, Belle Brunson and Hollie Tibbotts

Cliodhna played Gaubert, Ballade
Ruby played Uebayashi, Sonata (4th movement)
Sam played Coleman, Fanmi Imèn
Belle played Coleman, Danza de la Mariposa
Hollie played Widor, Suite (4th movement)

The Musician's Answering Service Prize - Stratford Ryan - one year’s free subscription to the Musician’s Answering Service, the leading UK diary service for orchestral and session musicians

Stratford played Heath, Coltrane

Atarah’s Legacy Fund Memorial Prize

Cliodhna Scott
Cliodhna played Gaubert, Ballade

An award of up to £500 to support the musical education of a promising player from any category - read the full winner announcement here.

Competitions 2024 - the Prizewinners