Pianist currently studying at Eton College wins BBC Young Musician 2024 competition

A 17-year-old pianist currently studying on a music scholarship at Eton College has won a national music competition.

Ryan Wang from Vancouver, Canada has been crowned the winner of the BBC Young Musician 2024 competition.

He was announced as the winner during the Grand Final, broadcast on BBC TV and iPlayer, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Sounds on Sunday evening.

The final was presented by saxophonist and broadcaster Jess Gillam, who was a BBC Young Musician finalist in 2016.

Ryan began playing the piano at the age of four and was five when he performed his first solo recital at Carnegie Hall.

During the final Ryan performed Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto, accompanied by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Ben Gernon.

His performance impressed the judging panel, consisting of trumpeter Alison Balsom, multi-instrumentalist and broadcaster Hannah Catherine Jones and pianist and composer Alexis Ffrench, and saw him take the top spot.

Ryan receives an Artist Diploma from the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris in France in May, being the ‘youngest ever’ to win the Prix Cortot.

He also featured in the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s New Generation Piano series from 2022 to 2023 and received the first prize and audience award at the 18th Animato International Chopin Competition in February.

Ryan said: “I’m so honoured to be writing to you as the winner of BBC Young Musician 2024.

“This journey has been incredible.

“I still can't believe this is all happening. I have enjoyed sharing my music with you all so much and I am so grateful for all the support I have received.

“This competition experience has been so amazing and I have been so fortunate to meet such incredible musicians.

“I am so excited to continue to share my musical journey with audiences and hope to see you all in concert someday.”

Alison Balsom said: “Ryan Wang is a truly remarkable musician.

“He has an extremely rare ability to communicate something other-worldly - and embody the music.

“I don’t think even he understands quite how he does it.

“In the final it was abundantly clear to all of us that he was creating a kind of magic. He generously raised the game of the orchestra too, and alongside his flawless technique, he was able to reveal his soul with such honesty.

“We felt we were witnessing one of the great historical performances of Rach 2.

“Granted - there are a handful of others who can also achieve this, but it’s exhilarating on any level to hear a teenager express this level of artistry.”

The Grand Final was filmed on Tuesday, September 24 at the Bristol Beacon and featured performances from other finalists, including 17-year-old violinist Shlomi Shahaf who currently studies at the Purcell School.

Sixteen-year-old Jacky Zhang from Surrey, a piano and composition student at the Royal College of Music, was also a finalist.

Suzy Klein, BBC head of Arts and Classical Music TV, said: “Yet again, the BBC Young Musician competition has been an opportunity to revel in the breath-taking talent of some of the finest musicians living in the UK, displaying technique, emotion and wisdom far beyond their years.

“Our warmest congratulations to Ryan and to all the BBC Young Musician finalists and competitors, and I’d also like to extend our thanks to the players of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and conductor Ben Gernon for their creativity and support of our finalists.

“If the success of previous competition winners is anything to go by, Ryan can look forward to a glittering career of music-making, both in the UK and on the international stage.”