Inspiring young composers

An A-Level music student has won the BBC Proms Inspire Young Composers' Competition with a piece performed and recorded by students at the School of Music.

Tom Daley's piece for large ensemble – What Wild Disclosure – will be recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and performed at the BBC Proms Young Composers Concert. The piece was originally recorded at a performance workshop at the School of Music when AS and A-Level music students from Croesyceiliog School visited to hear their compositions rehearsed and performed by undergraduate students.

The widening access event was organised by Dr Daniel Bickerton, a recent PhD graduate and part-time tutor at the School of Music, who spent some time visiting the Croesyceiliog music department to provide instrumental writing workshops and give composition tutorials as the students worked on their pieces.

Hearing your pieces played live, not just played back on composition software, is important for any composer and the event was designed to give the Croesyceiliog students the chance to hear their pieces performed by talented musicians.

Tom said: "I would like to thank the students of Cardiff University's music department that took part in recording my composition at the Widening Access composition event earlier this year. The piece that they recorded as been chosen as one of the winners in this year's BBC Proms Inspire Young Composers' Competition. Without the time, high level of playing and the effort they all put into rehearsing and recording the piece, I really don't think I would have won.

"I would especially like to thank Dr Daniel Bickerton for this amazing opportunity, for being such an inspiration and for his help with composition tutorials. Without him, none of this would be happening!"

Tom also thanked final year BMus student Nathan Dearden for conducting the piece and helping to bring it all together.

Now in its fifteenth year, the BBC Proms Inspire Young Composers' Competition provides a platform for budding composers aged 12 to 18 years old across the UK, providing what most composers only dream of – the chance to have their music played by professional musicians, performed at the BBC Proms and broadcast on BBC Radio 3.