BBC Radio 3 Instrumentalist of the World, the UK’s inaugural international classical music competition will launch the 2025 competition with a spectacular concert showcasing some of the world’s finest classical instrumentalists.
Accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra and each performing a concerto, three of the world’s most exciting artists will perform in a concert on 12th October at the De La Warr Pavilion, marking the launch of the 2025 Instrumentalist of the World Competition and will welcome competitors from around the world, to compete for a £10,000 prize and concert engagements in the UK and across Europe.
Amy Dickson
Amy is a twice Grammy™ nominated and Classic BRIT winner and was named the Young Australian of the Year in 2016. Amy has been acknowledged by BBC Music Magazine as one of the world’s best classical saxophonists of all time, has been an exclusive Sony Music recording artist since 2007 and has since recorded eight solo albums and many singles.
As a soloist, she has performed with orchestras worldwide and recorded with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Aurora Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Amy has already made a substantial contribution to the legacy of the instrument’s concerto, chamber and solo repertoire, continuing to work closely with many living composers, including Peter Sculthorpe, Huw Watkins, Steve Martland, Nigel Hess, Ross Edwards, Richard Blackford, Kenneth Fuchs, Stuart Greenbaum, Elena Kats-Chernin, Ivan Moody, Tarik O’Regan, Chris Rogerson, Toby Young, Alexis Ffrench, Jessica Wells, Carl Davis, Graham Fitkin, Graham Koehne, Martin Butler and Brett Dean.
Plínio Fernandes
Plínio is an exclusive Decca Gold recording artist from São Paulo, Brazil and released his debut album in 2022 which hit Number One on the Billboard Traditional Classical Albums Chart. Plínio was named on Forbes Brazil’s Under 30 list and as a Rising Star by Classic FM.
Recent highlights include a UK tour with Sheku Kanneh-Mason, a sold-out performance at London’s Wigmore Hall and performances with Lang Lang. He will be performing this summer at the BBC Proms and Lucerne Festival.
Laure Chan
Laure is an award-winning British Franco-Chinese violinist recently hailed by BBC Music Magazine as a rising star and appeared on Classic FM’s 30 Under 30 list in 2024.
Laure has performed in world-class concert venues throughout the UK, Europe, Asia and America such as the Royal Albert Hall, Philharmonie de Paris, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Wiener Konzerthaus, Concertgebouw, Elbphilharmonie, Herodes Atticus, Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre and the Lincoln Center. In December 2023, Laure made her solo debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.
Founder of the Instrumentalist of the World Competition and Charity Ian Roberts is a veteran classical music competition, festival producer and director having led the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition charity for several years and has worked with some of the world’s most respected music artists, ensembles, festivals and record labels.
Ian said: “I am thrilled that our charity is able to launch the competition with an exciting concert featuring three of the world’s finest young classical artists. Our audience at the De La Warr Pavilion, one of the most iconic arts centres in the UK can expect a wonderful evening of classical music with one of Britain’s most respected orchestras, the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Our aim in launching the competition is to provide world-class performances on the south coast of England, so that children and young people and audiences of any age, can experience amazing artistry without having to travel to the capital, whilst at the same time raising funds to support our goal of creating an exceptional music education programme for local children and providing free tickets to our competition, so that they can experience the magic of classical music for free”.
The launch concert on 12 October 2024 will be presented by popular BBC Radio 3 and BBC TV Presenter Linton Wesley Stephens and the programme will include a concerto performed by each artist accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra and conducted by the orchestra’s Chief Conductor Anna-Maria Helsing.
