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The Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World Service’s coverage of this year’s Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Proms opens with a concert celebrating 40 years of Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Young Musician, a national competition spotlighting some of the best young classical musicians in Britain.

It starts with four former winners of the competition, Natalie Clein, Guy Johnston, Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Laura van der Hijden performing an arrangement for 4 cellos and orchestra of ‘Violoncellos, vibrez!’, by the Italian composer Giovanni Sollima. Next, another former winner and international star, the Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti, with Maurice Ravel’s ‘Tzigane’, a virtuoso showcase for the soloist, inspired by gypsy music. Closing the concert is one of the French composer Camille Saint-Saens’ most beloved pieces, written in 1886: ‘The Carnival of the Animals’, short individual humorous portraits of the best known ‘characters’ from the natural kingdom, from which we hear a selection. The concert is performed by the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Concert Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Gourlay.

Presenter Georgia Mann is joined by pianist Lucy Parham, the keyboard category winner of Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Young Musician back in 1984.

Photo: Violinist Nicola Benedetti with the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Concert Orchestra Credit: Chris Christodoulou