York International Young Artists Competition announces winner

Belgian trio Ayres Extemporae has been awarded the first prize at the York International Young Artists Competition following a final held on 13 July in York presented by harpsichordist, fortepianist and former artistic advisor of the York Early Music Festival (YEMF) Steven Devine.

The trio was chosen as winner of the 2024 competition by a panel chaired by Linn Records producer Philip Hobbs and comprising AMUZ/Alamire director Bart Demuyt, lutenist Elizabeth Kenny, Vox Luminis director Lionel Meunier, and clarinettist and University of York lecturer Emily Worthington. The group takes home a £1,000 cash prize and opportunities to work with YEMF and BBC Radio 3 as well as a professional recording contract from Linn Records.

Jury chair Hobbs said: ‘This competition is definitely one of the musical highlights of the year and Linn Records is very proud to continue this important relationship with the York Early Music Festival and with the National Centre for Early Music. Today’s concert illustrated an array of extraordinarily inventive musical talent, and I would like to congratulate all eight ensembles who performed.’

In the two days before the competition, each of the eight finalists – Apollo’s Cabinet, Ensemble Bastion, Friedrichs Nebelmeer Ensemble, [hanse]Pfeyfferey, Pseudonym, Rubens Rosa, Trio Altizans and Ayres Extemporae – presented an informal recital at the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM) in York. The recitals enabled them to become familiar with the performance space and competition audience.

Ayres Extemporae members Moldovan-Spanish violinist Xenia Gogu, Spanish cellist Víctor García García and Portuguese cellist Teresa Madeira were ‘honoured’ to receive the prize. They said: ‘We’d like to thank all the other ensembles for their encouragement, friendship and brilliant musicianship, it’s been a real pleasure spending time with the other musicians. We’re really looking forward to returning to York and recording with Linn Records.’

In addition to the first prize, Apollo Cabinet were awarded the Friends of York Early Music Festival award and a £1000 cash prize, Ensemble Bastion won £1,000 in cash for most promising young artist/s endowed by the EUBO Development Trust, while [hanse] Pfeyfferey were awarded the Cambridge early music prize.