News by Levels · Level 3 · Student worksheet

Demetriades Takes BBC Young Musician Title in Historic Final

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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.

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.

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.

Source: BBC Music Magazine, 2026-11-01. https://www.classical-music.com/news/sofia-demetriades-wins-bbc-young-musician-2026

Read and practise

1. Who was the previous violinist to win the title before Demetriades?

   1. Nicola Benedetti
   2. Alma Nunez Debretzeni
   3. Kezia Colton

2. Which instruments did the other two finalists play?

   1. Violin and recorder
   2. Saxophone and violin
   3. Recorder and saxophone

3. Which statement correctly compares the dates of the final?

   1. It was both recorded and broadcast on November 1.
   2. It was recorded October 15 and broadcast November 1.
   3. It was recorded November 1 and broadcast October 15.

Your turn

Why was the final notable, and how did the recording date differ from the broadcast date?

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Read online: https://newsbylevels.com/news/sofia-demetriades-bbc-young-musician-violin-2026/level-3/