BBC Radio 3 Names This Year's New Generation Artists

Among the artists chosen is VC Young Artist María Dueñas, first prize winner at this year's Menuhin Competition

The UK's BBC Radio 3 announced the eight New Generation Artists who will join the station’s talent development initiative in September 2021. Those chosen will remain on the roster until December 2023.

Launched in 1999, the prestigious program helps to launch the international careers of young musicians, providing them with performance opportunities around the UK — including solo recitals and concerts with the BBC orchestras, and appearances at the BBC Proms, Cheltenham Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, and London’s Wigmore Hall.

The new members are British-Israeli pianist Tom Borrow, British mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston, Spanish violinist and VC Young Artist María Dueñas, German-Romanian baritone Konstantin Krimmel, Indian-American collaborative pianist Kunal Lahiry, London-based Mithras Trio, Paris-based string quartet Quatuor Mona, and British bass William Thomas.

While New Generation Artists typically remain on the scheme for two years, Radio 3 announced that for the second year running, current members will stay on for an additional year to compensate for the lost performance and recording opportunities due to Covid-19. Among those benefitting is VC Artist violist Timothy Ridout.

"Being a young musician at the time of the pandemic has been challenging: performance opportunities have been scarce and sustained connections with audiences have been hard to achieve," said Alan Davey, Controller BBC Radio 3 and classical music.

"We are therefore delighted to announce BBC Radio 3’s support for another group of brilliant young performers who are at such a vital stage of their development, and the extension of the New Generation Artists scheme for those who are already on it. Music will only be alive for as long as young people choose to dedicate their creative lives to it, and it is our privilege to support them at the start of their careers."