FIVE fresh-faced finalists from across Somerset compete on Sunday (January 19) to win the Taunton Young Musician Competition.
Taunton School pupils Anya Lee, on viola, and Mollie Stallard, on bassoon, are among the talented quintet from across the county who will showcase their skills on their instruments of choice at the weekend.
Anya’s musical journey began with learning to play piano aged three, soon joining the Hong Kong Children’s Choir.
At seven she entered the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, majoring in viola in its Junior Music Programme, and achieved the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music grade 8 for viola in 2009, and the Trinity Guildhall ATCL in 2011.
Mollie started playing the bassoon aged six and played her first concerto in Wells Cathedral aged 14.
“I was a member of the National Youth Orchestra for two years, during which time I played principal bassoon in the BBC Proms this summer,” she said.
Anya and Mollie will be joined by Carey Andrews, of Millfield School, on piano, and double bassists Josephine Jobbins and Joe Prindle, of Wells Cathedral School.
The adjudicators will be Elizabeth Hayley and Paul Denegri, and the competition starts at 2.30pm at Queen’s Hall, Queen’s College, Trull Road, Taunton.