Academy student Sofia Demetriades wins BBC Young Musician 2026
Sofia Demetriades on stage at the BBC Young Musician final
© 2026 BBC / Betsan Evans
News Story
Congratulations to Academy student Sofia Demetriades, who is this year's winner of the BBC Young Musician competition.
BBC Young Musician showcases the classical stars of the future, with previous winners including Academy alumni Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Alexandra Ridout and Professor of Cello at the Academy Guy Johnston.
The final, which took place at the Bristol Beacon on 15 October, saw Sofia captivate with a performance of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, accompanied by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Alpesh Chauhan. The final was presented by broadcaster and writer Petroc Trelawny, and it was judged by the Academy’s Head of Piano Joanna MacGregor, conductor and broadcaster Ben Gernon and celebrated composer and Honorary Member of the Academy, Errollyn Wallen.
Sofia is an award-winning violinist whose accolades include first prize at the Haslemere International String Competition and the Lipinski-Wieniawski Competition. She has performed as a soloist across the UK, Europe, and Canada, alongside her studies. Sofia is in her first year of undergraduate study at the Academy and is currently taught by So-Ock Kim. Prior to starting her undergraduate degree, Sofia studied at Junior Academy.
“I am so honoured and thrilled to have been a part of BBC Young Musician. I loved playing in the quarter-final on my eighteenth birthday. I didn’t think I could top that, but to go on to be crowned winner is my absolute dream!"
Sofia was joined in the final by Junior Academy student Alma Nunez Debretzeni, who performed Graham Fitkin’s Recorder Concerto. Junior Academy students Alice Chadwick-Jones (violin), Mariatu Kanneh-Mason (cello) and Hassan Marzban (recorder) and undergraduate student George Brady (French horn) also competed in the earlier stages of the competition.