UK's National Centre for Early Music Announces Winners of Young Composers' Award

Ryan Collis won the category for 19-25 year-olds, while Charlotte Robertson won the 18 and under category

The UK's National Centre for Early Music (NCEM) recently announced the winners of its Young Composers' Award. On October 20, pieces by eight young finalists were workshopped by the composer Christopher Fox, singers from the York-based ensemble Ex Corde and their director Paul Gameson, and Peter Phillips, director of the Tallis Scholars.

The winner of the 19-25 years category was Ryan Collis, for his work Lux Divinae. The other finalists were Thomas Shorthouse, Tingshuo Yang, and Reese Carly Manglicmot.

The winner of the 18 years and under was Charlotte Robertson, for her work A Wondrous Mystery. She was joined in the final by Matty Oxtoby, Jamaal Kashim, and Selina Cetin.

Launched in 2008, the NCEM Young Composers' Award affords young composers the opportunity to engage with the instruments and performance styles of early music — as well as the opportunity to hear their works performed by leading practitioners in the realm of historically informed performance.

A further aim of the initiative is to act as a bridge between the worlds of "early" and "new" music, demonstrating to young musicians that the musical styles of the past are relevant to their own creative endeavors.

You can watch the final in full below.