Sasha Canter wins BBC Young Musician 2022 Brass Final

Young trumpet star displays the edge to win the Brass Final of the BBC Young Musician 2022 competition.

Trumpet player Sasha Canter, from Long Wittenham in Oxfordshire has won the Brass Final of BBC Young Musician 2022 competition.

The 18-year-old (far right of picture) progresses to the Grand Final where he will join viola player Jaren Ziegler, and flautist SofIa Patterson-Gutierrez. The percussion and keyboard finalists will be announced over the next two days.

The former member of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain and first year Royal Academy of Music student performed 'Cantabile et Scherzetto' by Gaubert, 'Silent Noon' by Vaughan Williams and his own composition, 'Migration'.

Finalists

The Brass Final was recorded in early July at Saffron Hall in Essex. The other finalists in a high-quality event were Daniel Hibbert (17 — horn), Florence Wilson-Toy (17 — trumpet), Imogen Moorsom (18 — French horn), and Phoebe Mallinson (16 — trumpet).

The expert panel of judges included horn player and BBC Young Musician 2016 Grand Finalist, Ben Goldscheider and trumpet player and professor at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Anne McAneney. They joined panel chairperson, organist, Director of Music at Pembroke College, and broadcaster Anna Lapwood.

Artistic message

Ben had earlier said that he was looking for a performer "who had transcended the technical difficulties of playing a brass instrument... to the extent that they can really give us a convincing, musical and artistic message."

Anne said that she was, "...expecting to hear superb technique, amazing breath control, fine quality of tone, a great difference of style, and a above all fantastic communication skills with the audience."

Anna added: "I'm looking for real beauty of tone, obviously we are looking for virtuosity, but were are also looking for someone who can communicate part their instrument... right to our hearts."

Unanimous decision

Before the announcement of the results Ben added that he felt it had been "a really wonderful evening" and that they "had come to an unanimous decision".

They felt that Sasha as the winner, "really had an edge in terms of their virtuosity, in terms of their programming and in terms of their kind of their deliverance to us."

Splendid

The brass band movement was splendidly represented by Phoebe Mallinson, who plays with BD1 Brass, and Florence Wilson-Toy — both of whom also play with the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain.

Phoebe performed the Arutunian 'Concert Scherzo', 'Fantasie Caprice' by Pares, and 'Sonatina' by Peter Maxwell Davies on trumpet, as well as Philip Sparke's 'Moon Song' on flugel.

Florence performed the Bohme 'Concerto', the 'First Heroic March' by Telemann, 'Sonata' by Hansen, and 'Bis' by Dirk Brosse.

They felt that Sasha as the winner, "really had an edge in terms of their virtuosity, in terms of their programming and in terms of their kind of their deliverance to us."4BR

Highlights

Hour-long programmes of highlights from each Category Final will be broadcast on BBC Four for the rest of the week: Percussion on Wednesday 5th October, and Keyboard on Thursday 6th October.

There is also complementary coverage on BBC Radio 3, with highlights from the Category Finals, presented by Linton Stephens with contributions from Jess Gillam, broadcast in the Lunchtime Concert slot until Friday 7th October.

The BBC Young Musician Grand Final, recorded at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall on Thursday 29th September, is scheduled for broadcast on BBC Four and BBC Radio 3 on Sunday 9th October.