News by Levels · Level 3 · For teachers
Teacher guide & answers
Demetriades Takes BBC Young Musician Title in Historic Final
How to use these two pages
Give learners the student worksheet. It contains the story and questions, without the answers. Keep this guide for yourself. Use it to lead the activity and explain the answers afterwards.
Student worksheetA simple 15–20-minute lesson
- Before reading · 2 minutes
Show the title. Ask: “What do you think this story is about?”
- Read and answer · 8–10 minutes
Give out the student worksheet. Learners read for the main idea, then reread to answer the 3 questions. They can compare answers with a partner.
- Discuss and write · 5–8 minutes
Check the answers below together. Ask learners to point to the clue in the story, then finish with the open question.
Adjust the support: Let learners use word help or Level 1 if needed. For a challenge, compare the wording in another level. This activity is not a proficiency test.
Answers to the 3 questions
The question numbers match the student worksheet. Each answer includes a reason and the clue learners can find in the story.
Who was the previous violinist to win the title before Demetriades?
Correct answer: A — Nicola Benedetti
Why: The first paragraph names Nicola Benedetti as the previous violinist winner in 2004.
Clue in the story: Sofia Demetriades, an 18-year-old violinist, has won BBC Young Musician 2026 after performing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. She is the first violinist to take the title since Nicola Benedetti in 2004.
Which instruments did the other two finalists play?
Correct answer: C — Recorder and saxophone
Why: The second paragraph identifies a recorder player and a saxophonist.
Clue in the story: The other finalists were recorder player Alma Nunez Debretzeni and saxophonist Kezia Colton. According to The Guardian, it was the first all-female final in the competition's 48-year history.
Which statement correctly compares the dates of the final?
Correct answer: B — It was recorded October 15 and broadcast November 1.
Why: The last paragraph gives October 15 as the recording date and November 1 as the broadcast date.
Clue in the story: The final was recorded at Bristol Beacon on October 15 and broadcast on November 1, when the result was revealed. Demetriades has begun an undergraduate course at London's Royal Academy of Music.
The open question: accept different answers
Ask learners: Why was the final notable, and how did the recording date differ from the broadcast date?
One possible answer: It was the competition's first all-female final. It was recorded on October 15 and broadcast on November 1.
This is an example, not the only correct answer. Look for a relevant idea, a reason and the learner’s own words. Learners can answer aloud or write one or two sentences.