Katie Derham to judge Sussex Young Musician of the Year 2020

The BBC’s Katie Derham has been confirmed as a judge for the Sussex Young Musician of the Year 2020 competition–  and there’s still time to enter.
Katie DerhamKatie Derham
Katie Derham

2020’s Coro Nuovo Sussex Young Musician of the Year was launched mid-June – and the organisers are delighted to have Sussex based Katie –the face of the BBC Proms – on board.

Sponsored by traditional oak and timber company Tradoak, the competition offers young musicians the chance to win up to £1,000 to help support their music studies. There’s still plenty of time to enter with the closing date not until Sunday, August 30 2020.

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Open to musicians aged between 18 and 26 years old, who have a connection to Sussex (residential and/or educational) and are embarking or intending to embark on a professional career in music, the competition invites entry by visiting http://www.sussexyoungmusician.org.uk.

Four finalists will be selected by the Coro Nuovo committee before being passed to a panel of expert judges from the music world, including Katie, who will determine the winner and the prizes which include £1,000 for the winner, £500 for the runner-up and £250 each for two other finalists.

Katie said: “Throughout my career I have been lucky enough to present the proms, host the classical BRIT awards, conduct orchestral, choral and operatic music through BBC’s Maestro programme and rediscover my passion for playing the violin.

“I am thrilled to have been invited to be on the judging panel for this year’s Sussex Young Musician of the Year competition. As a Sussex resident, I’m particularly looking forward to seeing the competition finalists and be able to help our stars of the future during these very challenging times for the music industry.”

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Catherine Kent, chairman of Coro Nuovo, added: “Having Katie on board as one of this year’s expert judges is absolutely fantastic as she has a wide range of music experience as well as living in Sussex. My message to all young musicians, classical or contemporary, is don’t miss the opportunity to enter the competition! We know how high the cost of tuition can be and there are many gifted musicians that simply go under the radar due to lack of support.”

The deadline for application is midnight on Sunday, August 30 2020: www.sussexyoungmusician.org.uk.