National Brass & Percussion Solo Competition and Workshop
- 10am - 4pm (doors open 9.30am)
Tickets
About this event:
- Category:
- Guildhall Young Artists
- Event type:
- Booking required | In-person
- Admission:
- £30 £20 if you attend a Guildhall Young Artist centre Or pay what you can
Event information
Join Guildhall Young Artists for the National Brass and Percussion Competition & Workshop – a day for instrumentalists aged 9-18, playing any brass or percussion instrument, and of ABRSM Grade 3 standard and above.
This event offers young brass players and percussionists the opportunity to perform to an all-star panel of adjudicators including Phil Cobb (trumpet), Peter Moore (trombone), Julian Warburton (percussion) and Alex Duggan (percussion) as part of the National Brass and Percussion Solo Competition.
Students will also get the chance to participate in workshops throughout the day, culminating in a group performance. Friends and family are invited to attend the Results & Prize Giving Ceremony at 3pm in Milton Court Concert Hall (no booking required).
Guildhall Young Artists is grateful to Buffet Crampon, Phil Parker Ltd, Southern Percussion and Warwick Music for supporting this event.
Event Details
Event Overview:
Date: Sunday 6 April 2025
Time: 10am – 4pm
Venue: Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Silk Street, Barbican EC2Y 8DT
This event offers students the opportunity to participate in both a competition and a workshop. Students are encouraged to engage in both activities, although participation in the workshop without competing is also an option. Attendees are expected to listen to and support participants in their category.
- Age: Students aged 9 to 18 (gap year students aged 19 are also eligible). Age is determined as of 1 September 2024.
- Minimum Standard: Grade 3
- Closing Date: Booking closes on Friday 7 March 2025 or earlier if capacity is reached.
Sign Up Here: Guildhall Young Artists Sign-Up
Please note:
- Spaces are limited to 20 participants per category. Early booking is recommended as categories will close once full.
- Families booking for multiple students must sign up one child at a time, using the ‘Continue Shopping’ option at checkout to add further students.
Upper Brass (Trumpet/Cornet)
- School Year 7 and under
- School Years 8–10
- School Years 11–14 (including Gap Year students)
Lower Brass (French Horn/Tenor Horn/Euphonium/Baritone/Trombone/Tuba)
- School Year 7 and under
- School Years 8–10
- School Years 11–14 (including Gap Year students)
Percussion
- School Year 9 and under
- School Years 10–14 (including Gap Year students)
Brass
- Piece: One slow melody, no longer than 4 minutes 30 seconds (including time for tuning and setup).
- Accompaniment: A GYA accompanist will be provided, but rehearsal time on the day will not be possible. Participants must bring the sheet music on the day and will be asked to upload a PDF of the accompaniment in advance via a Dropbox link.
Percussion
- Piece: One unaccompanied piece, no longer than 4 minutes 30 seconds (including setup time).
- Multi-percussion Setup: If applicable, students must provide a setup sketch with their name in block capitals (to be submitted before the event).
- Equipment Provided:
- 5-octave marimba
- 5-piece drum kit with two crash cymbals
- Multi-setup including 4 concert toms, 2 bongos, concert snare, mounted cowbell, mounted woodblock, and 2 suspended crash cymbals
NB: You can use any combination of the multi setup (e.g. from a snare drum only to a combination any the above listed instruments).
Each category will have the following awards:
- 1st Prize: Cup, Medal, Certificate
- 2 x Highly Commended Awards: Medal, Certificate
- All participants will receive a certificate of participation.
Students will participate in workshops throughout the day, culminating in a group performance. Friends and family are invited to attend the Results & Prize Giving Ceremony at 3pm in Milton Court Concert Hall. The ceremony will include:
- Results announcement and prize distribution.
- A group performance by all students.
- Short performances by adjudicators.
Adjudicators will include Phil Cobb (trumpet), Peter Moore (trombone), Julian Warburton (percussion) and Alex Duggan (percussion). Additional teaching and adjudication will be provided by inspiring Guildhall School teachers. Please note that adjudicators may be subject to change.
- Phil Parker Ltd: Brass specialist shop
- Southern Percussion: Percussionists’ go-to shop
- £30 for students not in a GYA centre or ensemble
- £20 for GYA students
- Pay What You Can: To ensure inclusivity, financial barriers should not prevent participation.
- Brass Participants: Before the competition, you will be contacted to provide repertoire details and upload a PDF of the piano accompaniment.
- Percussion Participants: If playing a multi-percussion piece, you will be asked to upload a setup sketch with your name in block capitals.
Students in Year 6 or below - parents of students in Year 6 or below must confirm on the booking form that they agree to remain onsite throughout the duration of the Workshop and Competition.
Students in Year 7 or above - parents must tell us (via the booking form) that they consent to their child leaving Guildhall School premises unattended for breaks and at the end of the day. Students for whom consent is not given will not be permitted to leave the site without a parent present for collection.
For any questions, please contact:
- Edward Deakins (Project Manager) – Edward.Deakins@gsmd.ac.uk
- Spencer Down (Creative Director) – Spencer.Down@gsmd.ac.uk
Venue information
Silk Street Theatre, Music Hall and Lecture Recital Room are located in the main Guildhall School building on Silk Street and for Barbican produced events the venue can also be accessed from the Barbican if you exit via the doors next to Barbican Kitchen on Level G.
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Silk Street
Barbican
EC2Y 8DT
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