Wandsworth Young Musician of the Year Announced

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Bethany Reeves from Putney High wins the award

Year 12 musician Bethany Reeves has won the Grand Final of the Wandsworth Young Musicians of the Year. She now progresses to the District Round of the Rotary Young Musician Competition on 28th February 2016 in Dulwich, and will also get the opportunity to perform at the Wandsworth Young Person of the Year awards on 19th April.

Bethany, who has played the piano since she was two years old, auditioned for the competition - which was organised by Wandsworth council - in December 2015. The competition was open to everyone aged under 18, living or attending a school in Wandsworth. She played Debussy's Toccata, and was selected for the Grand Final where she performed the Khachaturian’s Piano Sonata and Chopin’s Posthumous Nocturne in front of judge and cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson.

Thrilled about winning the award, Bethany said, “I was very surprised because of the quality of the other performances, but also extremely happy! I am now excited to progress to the next stages of the competition.”

This was the first music performance competition that Bethany has entered outside Putney High School. This is despite being an accomplished musician; she writes music and plays no less than eight instruments (piano, cello, clarinet, saxophone, trombone, organ, accordion and recorder) six of which to a Grade 8 standard. Piano and clarinet are her favourites.

January 19, 2016