Yuma Angius-Thomas wins Junior Guildhall Lutine Prize 2025

Violinist Jennifer Wells was awarded Second Prize.

The competition took place on Saturday 21 June in Milton Court Concert Hall. Yuma performed a winning recital of Gene Koshinski's Impressions of a Chinese Opera (i. Chang He Zuo), Chad Floyd's Chatterbox, Dwayne Rice's Fantasie in A, and Eric Sammut's Libertango.

The Lutine Prize is Junior Guildhall’s equivalent of the senior school’s annual Gold Medal competition. Six students were selected from the preliminary round to perform in the final, where they presented a 20-minute solo recital. The winner of the first prize is given the opportunity to perform a concerto with one of the Junior Guildhall ensembles in addition to a cash award.

The other finalists were Avram Harris (cello), Dominic Kamel (percussion), Emma Sandford (horn) and Matias Yung (cello).

The adjudicators this year were Richard Benjafield, Guildhall’s Head of Wind, Brass and Percussion, Levon Chilingirian, Guildhall Violin Tutor and Chamber Music Coach, and Dame Judith Weir CBE HonFGS, Master of the Queen’s music 2014 to 2024. The certificates were presented by Alison Mears, Director of Guildhall Young Artists & Safeguarding.

2023 Lutine Prize winner Thomas Young performed with pianist John Flinders during the panel deliberation.

Yuma Angius-Thomas says: "I'm over the moon, and I cannot wait to start working on a marimba concerto with the Junior Guildhall String Orchestra."

Rosie Whitfield, Head of Junior Guildhall, says: “Congratulations to Yuma and Jennifer for outstanding performances on the night. This was an extraordinary final highlighting the wealth and breadth of Junior Guildhall talent and commitment. Well done all!”

Congratulations to Yuma and all of our 2025 finalists!

About the Lutine Prize

The Lutine Prize is Junior Guildhall’s equivalent of the senior school’s annual Gold Medal competition. Six students were selected from the preliminary round to perform in the final, where they presented a 20-minute solo recital. The winner of the first prize is given the opportunity to perform a concerto with one of the Junior Guildhall ensembles in addition to a cash award.

The Lutine Prize was inaugurated in 1982 and Yuma joins a long line of winners, many of whom have enjoyed professional music careers, including composer Thomas Adès, and pianists Tom Poster and Annabel Thwaite.

About Yuma Angius-Thomas

Yuma is a 17-year-old musician from London and plays orchestral percussion and drum kit. In 2024, he was accepted on the LPO Junior Artist programme, which led him to perform side-by-side with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Yuma is an alumnus of the LSO East London Academy and performed alongside the London Symphony Orchestra at Trafalgar Square conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, and premiered two of his and his brother’s compositions at LSO St Lukes.

He is currently part of HYMSO, the Chineke! Junior Orchestra and Triorca International Orchestra. This Summer, Yuma will join the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Young and will perform under the baton of Elim Chan at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. Additionally, RCO Young will play the opening concert of SAIL 2025.