Competitors Announced for 2018 Eurovision Young Classical Musicians Contest

The 18 competitors for the 2018 Eurovision Young Musicians Contest have been announced

The 18 competitors for the 2018 Eurovision Young Musicians Contest have this week been announced - in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The candidates, each nominated to represent their home countries, are:

• 18-year-old cellist Maxim Calver from the United Kingdom
• 15-year old violinist Alexandra Cooreman from Belgium
• 16-year-old Mira Foron from Germany
• 18-year-old cellist Tamir Naaman-Pery from Israel
• 16-year-old cellist Birgitta Elisa Oftestad from Norway
• 18-year-old violinist Nikola Pajanović from Slovenia
• 18-year-old cellist Francesco Stefanelli from San Marino
• 17-year-old double bassist Indi Stivín from the Czech Republic
• 18-year-old violinist Sara Valencia from Spain
• 15-year-old Klaudio Zoto from Albania
• 19-year-old harpist Johanna Ander Ljung from Sweden
• 18-year-old saxophonist Máté Bencze from Hungary
• 16-year-old pianist Ivan Bessonov from Russia
• 18-year-old flutist Marta Chlebicka from Poland
• 18-year-old percussionist Tanel-Eiko Novikov from Estonia
• 18-year-old pianist Bernice Sammut Attard from Malta
• 14-year-old saxophonist Jan Tominić from Croatia
• 17-year-old guitarist Thanos Tzanetakis from Greece

For the opening round, to be held on the 18th and 19th of August at the Edinburgh International Music Festival, each young soloist will present a full recital.

Six candidates will proceed to the final stage of the competition, to be held at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall on the 23rd of August with conductor Thomas Dausgaard and the BBC Scottish Symphony.

A co-production between the European Broadcasting Union, the Edinburgh International Festival and the British Broadcasting Corporation, the 2018 1st prize winner will receive €7,000 - plus a solo engagement with the BBC Scottish Symphony.

Previous 1st prize winners include violinists Julian Rachlin, Julia Fischer, Isabelle van Keulen, Alexandra Soumm and VC Young Artist Ziyu He.