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Ö÷²¥´óÐã Young Musician 2010 is given increased airtime this year with an extra programme on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two to accommodate the new semi-final stage. There will also be in-depth 90-minute programmes on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four as well as extensive coverage on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 3.

With 25 young musicians having made it through the regional and category auditions, there are now only two rounds – the category finals and the semi-final – between them and the final.

The Ö÷²¥´óÐã Young Musician 2010 competition, produced by Ö÷²¥´óÐã Cymru Wales, begins on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four on Friday 16 April and continues through to Friday 14 May with a series of 90-minute programmes, presented by Clemency Burton-Hill, including documentary introductions to the 25 category finalists, insights into their preparations for the competition, behind-the-scenes footage at the category finals and extensive highlights from their performances as they bid to become a category winner and gain a place in the semi-final.

Coverage then switches to Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two on Saturday 15 May, where Clemency presents a highlights programme from the semi-final as the five category winners compete for just three places in the final.

Howard Goodall joins Clemency to present the final, which will be broadcast on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two on Sunday 16 May, and will feature the finalists' concerto performances in full as they compete for the title of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Young Musician 2010.

Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 3 will be providing coverage of the competition, including each category winner's performance as part of Afternoon On 3, on Monday 10 to Thursday 13 May, and in Performance On 3, on Friday 14 May, with the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Young Musician 2010 Final broadcast in full on Sunday 16 May.

Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 3 will also feature performances from former competition winners in the second part of Performance On 3 from Monday 12 to Thursday 15 April, leading up to the first Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four broadcast on Friday 16 April.

The final of the competition will take place in the Donald Gordon Theatre, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, on Sunday 16 May. The three finalists will perform a concerto of their own choice with the Ö÷²¥´óÐã National Orchestra of Wales, under the baton of Vasily Petrenko, chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and principal conductor of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. They will be competing for the coveted title of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Young Musician 2010 and a £2,000 cash prize.

Paul Bullock, executive producer, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Cymru Wales, says: "Ö÷²¥´óÐã Young Musician has an impressive record of discovering exciting new talent and the 2010 competition promises to continue that tradition. In February, 25 incredibly talented young people arrived in Cardiff to compete in the category finals and there were some memorable performances – with members of the jury moved to tears on more than one occasion.

"Our coverage of this year's competition will combine extensive highlights of these performances with a chance to get to know the personalities of the competitors. And with the introduction of a new semi-final stage, expect the competition for a place in the final to be even greater than ever."

Ö÷²¥´óÐã Young Musician 2010 is produced by Ö÷²¥´óÐã Wales. For the latest news, history of the competition and to see previous performances, visit bbc.co.uk/youngmusician.

Notes to Editors

The category finals were held at Ö÷²¥´óÐã Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff Bay, on 7-11 February, with the semi-final on Friday 12 February. The final of the competition will take place in the Donald Gordon Theatre, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, on Sunday 16 May.

The 25 who have made it to the category finals are:

Brass Category
Sam Moffitt, trumpet (age 17, from Southsea, Portsmouth)
Finlay Bain, french horn (age 18, from Ealing, London)
Anna Douglass, french horn (age 18, from Fulbourn, Cambridge)
Alex Hamilton, french horn (age 17, from Manchester)
Tom Berry, trombone (age 18, from Bolton)

String Category
Katy Smith, violin (age 17, from Peterborough)
Callum Smart, violin (age 13, from Tunbridge Wells)
John Hewitt-Jones, viola (age 17, from West Dulwich)
Glain Dafydd, harp (age 17, from Bangor, North Wales)
Anne Denholm, harp (age 18, from Carmarthen)

Keyboard Category
Frederic Bager, piano (age 18, from Switzerland)
Sophie Dee, piano (age 16, from Faversham, Kent)
Yuanfan Yang, piano (age 13 – the youngest finalist – from Manchester)
Lara Ömeroğlu, piano (age 16, from Watford, Hertfordshire)
Seán Rooney, piano (age 16, from Newry, County Down)

Woodwind Category
Emma Halnan, flute (age 17, from Letchworth, Hertfordshire)
Chloé Greenwood, oboe (age 17, from Rochdale, Lancashire)
Lavinia Redman, oboe (age 15, from Clapton in Gordano, North Somerset)
Joe Norris, clarinet (age 17, from Perth)
Ben Westlake, clarinet (age 17, from Milton Keynes)

Percussion Category
Hui Wai Nok (age 18 – the eldest finalist – from Hong Kong)
Lucy Landymore (age 17, from Cambridge).
James Larter (age 15, from Northampton).
Oliver Pooley (age 17, from Manchester)
Delia Stevens (age 18, from Normanton-on-Soar, Leicestershire)

Full listings:

Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four
Friday 16, 23, 30 April, 7 and 14 May, 7.30pm

Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two
Saturday 15 May (time TBC)
Highlights programme from the semi-final of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Young Musician 2010

Sunday 16 May, (time TBC)
The final of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Young Musician 2010

Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 3
Monday 12 to Thursday 15 April – Performance On 3, 7.00-9.15pm
Performances from former competition winners in Part 2

Monday 10 to Thursday 13 May – Afternoon On 3, 2.00-5.00pm
Featuring one category final Winner each day (four in total)

Friday 14 May – Performance On 3, 7.00-9.15pm
Featuring the fifth category final winner

Sunday 16 May – Full coverage of the final of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Young Musician 2010
Deferred broadcast, timing tbc.

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