Our Young Musicians Development Scheme has continued to flourish. We started five years ago, with the aim of introducing chamber music to young people, both as listeners and participants. The core event each year is a masterclass for local young musicians, giving them the opportunity to receive personal tuition in the intimate art of playing chamber music.

The tutors are always young professional players and music college students, who themselves gain valuable experience by working with the young people. This year’s masterclass was held in February and once again the lead tutor was a member of the Lycydas Trio – this time Toby Tramaseur, their violinist. One of my difficulties when putting the students into groups is that I never know what mix I’m going get.For example last year we had no clarinet players, only one viola and lots of flautists, and this year it was the other way around.

This year we had four tutors and our largest gathering of young musicians yet. One thing doesn’t change though. The standard of playing is always truly remarkable, not least because most of the time they are sight-reading and have never played together before.

This year’s evening event ended with tutors and students playing an improvised version of the jazz classic ‘Watermelon Man’ to great acclaim.

This year we will once again be supporting the PACA Piano Competition. Four years ago, the winner was Cordelia Williams, who, at the age of only fourteen impressed everyone with her musicality and professionalism.

We immediately engaged her to give our summer recital at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum.

It came as no surprise to us that this year she won the piano class in the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition, going on to give a wonderfully mature performance of the Saint-Saens piano concerto in the final.

We hope to be able to engage her for one of our main recitals during our 2007 – 2008 season.

This year, our summer recital will be given on 11th August at Russell-Cotes by Oliver Coates, cello, and Jacob Fichert, piano (both pictured right).

Oliver is a Countess of Munster Artist and has also recently been selected by Making Music for their Philip and Dorothy Green Trust, which supports young artists starting out on their professional careers.

I should like to thank one of our members, Alan Frost, for his invaluable support of the scheme, and also Ieuan Davies of the Dorset Music Service for his help in publicising the masterclass.

In October, a few of our young musicians played for the Bournemouth Society for the Visually Impaired when they launched their ‘Friends of BSVI’ scheme.

In July one of our young pianists will play at a County Council Event at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum. We have players to suit all tastes ‘on our books’ now – strings, pianists, wind players and a harpist.