National Centre for Early Music Announces Winners of 19th Young Composers Award
By David SalazarThe National Centre for Early Music (NCEM) has announced the winners of its 19th Young Composers Award.
In the 19 to 25 years category, the award was shared by Kat Farn for “LABYRINTH” and Edward Tait for “My troubled sense doth move.” Laura Kesiak took the prize in the 18 years and under category for “In this strange labyrinth how shall I turn.”
This year’s brief invited young composers to write a new song setting for soprano, cornett, and keyboard, drawing inspiration from the experimental music of Claudio Monteverdi and his contemporaries. The texts were drawn from poetry by Lady Mary Wroth, a contemporary of Shakespeare. All works were performed by The Gonzaga Band, comprising soprano Faye Newton, cornettist Jamie Savan, and keyboardist Steven Devine.
Eight finalists took part in a day of workshops led by composer and Honorary Professor of Music at the University of York, Professor Christopher Fox, before their pieces were performed in a public concert and live-streamed via the NCEM Young Composers Award website.
The judging panel included Les Pratt of BBC Radio 3, NCEM Director Delma Tomlin, and Faye Newton of The Gonzaga Band.
The three winning compositions will receive their premieres at a lunchtime concert at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on Oct. 27, 2026, performed by The Gonzaga Band. The concert will be recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s Early Music Show and BBC Sounds.
“It has been such a joy to be the collaborating ensemble for the 2026 competition. The young composers have done such a brilliant job that we have eight wonderfully varied and imaginative pieces in the final, any and all of which we’d be delighted to perform in our future recitals,” said The Gonzaga Band, per an official press release.
Presented in partnership with BBC Radio 3, the final took place on April 16, 2026 at the NCEM’s home of St Margaret’s Church in York.
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