BBC Young Musician - Season 3 / Year 2012

Clemency Burton-Hill presents highlights of the BBC Young Musician 2012 keyboard category final from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. With behind-the-scenes access, it features all the news, profiles of the category finalists and extensive highlights from their performances.

The five young pianists - 15-year-old Martin Bartlett, 18-year-old Victor Lim, 15-year-old Adam Boeker, 16-year-old Dominic Degavino and 15-year-old Yuanfan Yang - give some remarkable performances, with a diverse repertoire that includes works by Dutilleux, Chopin, Scarlatti and even a competitor's self-penned composition.

Each of them are determined to impress the judges to win the category, which will gain them that all-important place in the semi-final and a shot at the BBC Young Musician 2012 title.

Clemency Burton-Hill presents highlights of the BBC Young Musician 2012 category finals from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. With behind-the-scenes access, the programme features all the contest news, profiles of the category finalists and extensive highlights from their performances.

Featuring some of the UK's most talented young instrumentalists, keyboard, brass, strings, woodwind and percussion competitors battle it out for just five places in the semi-final. But this isn't your run-of-the-mill TV talent show and there is no fast track to success - these gifted musicians are all Grade 8 standard or above and will have years of practice behind them. They have already survived two gruelling rounds of auditions to reach this stage.

In the second category final in the series, the spotlight is on five gifted brass competitors - tenor horn player Jonny Bates, trumpeter Ela Young, tuba player Chris Dunn, French horn player Lizzi Tocknell and bass trombonist Alex Kelly. Aged 16 to 18, the finalists go head to head for a place in the semi-final, playing music ranging from Vaughan Williams to Baadsvik's radical tuba show-stopper, Fnugg.

Week three of BBC Young Musician 2012 from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, and with the winners of the keyboard and brass categories already decided, the focus moves to strings. Presenter Clemency Burton-Hill, herself an accomplished violinist, is in her element as she meets two cellists and three violinists, each hoping to win the strings title and gain that all-important place in the semi-final.

In a category final close to her heart, Clemency takes us behind the scenes, with competitor profiles, performance highlights and all the news from this year's competition. Violinists Julia Hwang, 16, Juliette Roos, 16, and Cristian Grajner-De Sa, 17, along with cellists Joel Sandelson, 17, and this year's youngest category finalist, Laura van der Heijden, at just 14, each have just twenty minutes to prove they are the best young string player in the country, before a panel of distinguished judges.

Whoever wins goes through to the semi-final, taking them a step closer to the final at the Sage, Gateshead on May 13th and a chance for a shot at the title of BBC Young Musician 2012.

Clemency Burton-Hill presents highlights of the BBC Young Musician 2012 category finals from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, with behind-the-scenes access, profiles and performance from the finalists and all the latest news. With the keyboard, brass and strings winners already decided and through to the semi-final, the competition is hotting up and just two places are left up for grabs.

In the woodwind category final, five different instruments are represented: those more commonly seen at this stage of the competition such as the clarinet, played by Jordan Black, and the flute, played by Luke O'Toole, along with those less familiar - the saxophone, played by Lucinda Dunne, and bassoon, played by Charlotte Cox. Finally, making BBC Young Musician history, the recorder - played by Charlotte Barbour-Condini - makes an appearance for the first time in 12 years.

Only one of them can win through to the semi-final, with that all-important chance of a place in the final on May 13th at the Sage, Gateshead and a shot at the title of BBC Young Musician 2012.

The ultimate music contest continues, as BBC Young Musician 2012 shines a spotlight on some of the UK's most talented young percussionists in the last of five category finals from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.

Clemency Burton-Hill introduces extensive highlights from their performances, with behind-the-scenes access and insightful comment and analysis. Rhythm takes centre stage, as we witness a spectacular display of technique, showmanship and passion from five percussionists: 18-year-olds James Larter, Richard Rayner and Molly Lopresti, and 16-year-olds Peter Rayner and Hyun-gi Lee. Expect the unexpected from a mostly modern repertoire, which features backing tracks, shouting and self-penned compositions.

With the semi-final line up almost complete, each of the five young percussionists will be hoping that their journey doesn't end here. They'll be aiming to convince the judges that they deserve the one remaining place in the semi-final, taking them a step closer to the coveted title, BBC Young Musician 2012.

The tension is building and nerves are kicking in as we reach the semi-final stage of BBC Young Musician 2012. The five winners of the keyboard, brass, strings, woodwind and percussion categories go head-to-head at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, each hoping to impress the jury and win one of three places in the final of this prestigious competition.

Making the all-important decisions are composer and performer Tansy Davies; Marshall Marcus, director of the London Southbank Centre's Sistema Programme; prominent British pianist, composer and teacher Huw Watkins; and Gareth Jones, conductor and founder of Sinfonia Cymru. Clemency Burton-Hill goes behind the scenes to give us all the competition news and introduces profiles of the five talented semi-finalists, as well as highlights from their extraordinary performances.

BBC Young Musician 2012 reaches a thrilling crescendo, as the three gifted finalists make a bid to become the eighteenth winner of this coveted title. For the first time since 2006, the biennial event returns to The Sage Gateshead, where the three finalists perform a concerto of their choice with the Northern Sinfonia, under acclaimed conductor Kirill Karabits. Presenter Clemency Burton-Hill introduces the competitors' performances and documentary profiles. Joining her, providing insightful comment and analysis of the music, are special guests - the distinguished and hugely popular composer Eric Whitacre and rising classical guitar star, Milos Karadaglic. Josie D'Arby presents from backstage, meeting the competitors and getting reactions before and after their performances. Previous BBC Young Musician winners and finalists have gone on to major international careers, with the likes of Jennifer Pike, Guy Johnston and Nicola Benedetti now enjoying enormous success as soloists and recording artists. The competition's last triumphant winner - pianist Lara Melda - also gives a guest performance at this final.

Expect tension, drama and some truly astonishing music-making.