National Brass Solo Competition and Workshop 2026
- 10am-4pm (doors open 9.30am)
Tickets
About this event:
- Category:
- Guildhall Young Artists
- Event type:
- Booking required | In-person
- Admission:
- £30 (+ booking fee) £20 (+ booking fee) if you attend a Guildhall Young Artist centre Or pay what you can (+booking fee)
Event information
Join Guildhall Young Artists for the National Brass Competition and Workshop – a day for instrumentalists aged 9-18, playing any brass instrument, and of ABRSM Grade 3 standard and above.
This event offers young brass players the opportunity to perform to an all-star panel of adjudicators as part of the National Brass Solo Competition.
Students will also get the chance to participate in workshops throughout the day, culminating in a group performance. Friends and family are invited to attend the Results and Prize Giving Ceremony at 3pm in Milton Court Concert Hall (no booking required).
Guildhall Young Artists National Brass Competition in Association with Phil Parker Ltd.
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Event Details
Event Overview:
Date: Sunday 19 April 2026
Time: 10am–4pm
Venue: Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Silk Street, Barbican EC2Y 8DT
This event offers students the opportunity to participate in both a competition and a workshop. Students are encouraged to engage in both activities, although participation in the workshop without competing is also an option. Attendees are expected to listen to and support participants in their category.
- Age: Students aged 9 to 18 (gap year students aged 19 are also eligible). Age is determined as of 31 August 2025.
- Minimum Standard: Grade 3
- Closing Date: Booking closes on Tuesday 31 March 2026 or earlier if capacity is reached.
Sign Up Here: Guildhall Young Artists Sign-Up
Please note:
- Spaces are limited to 20 participants per category. Early booking is recommended as categories will close once full.
- Families booking for multiple students must sign up one child at a time, using the ‘Continue Shopping’ option at checkout to add further students.
Upper Brass (Trumpet/Cornet)
- School Year 7 and under
- School Years 8–10
- School Years 11–14 (including Gap Year students)
Lower Brass (French Horn/Tenor Horn/Euphonium/Baritone/Trombone/Tuba)
- School Year 7 and under
- School Years 8–10
- School Years 11–14 (including Gap Year students)
- Piece: One slow melody, no longer than 4 minutes 30 seconds (including time for tuning and setup).
- Accompaniment: A GYA accompanist will be provided, but rehearsal time on the day will not be possible. Participants must bring the sheet music on the day and will be asked to upload a PDF of the accompaniment in advance via a Dropbox link.
Each category will have the following awards:
- 1st Prize: Trophy, Medal, Certificate.
- 2 x Highly Commended Awards: Medal, Certificate.
- The most promising player in each class. The most promising player will not include one of the prize winners.
- All participants will receive a certificate of participation.
The adjudicator(s) decision will be final.
Students will participate in workshops throughout the day, culminating in a group performance. Friends and family are invited to attend the Results and Prize Giving Ceremony at 3pm in Milton Court Concert Hall. The ceremony will include:
- Results announcement and prize distribution.
- A group performance by all students.
- Short performances by adjudicators.
Brass adjudicator information to follow.
Additional teaching and adjudication will be provided by inspiring Guildhall School teachers. Please note that adjudicators may be subject to change.
- Phil Parker Ltd: Brass specialist shop
- Southern Percussion: Percussionists’ go-to shop
- £30 (£30 + £2.52 booking fee) for students not in a GYA centre or ensemble
- £20 (£20 + £1.68 booking fee) for GYA students
- Pay What You Can (+ £1.68 booking fee). To ensure inclusivity, financial barriers should not prevent participation.
Before the competition, you will be contacted to provide repertoire details and upload a PDF of the piano accompaniment.
Students in Year 6 or below - parents of students in Year 6 or below must confirm on the booking form that they agree to remain onsite throughout the duration of the Workshop and Competition. Parents of students in Year 7 or above should select N/A.
Students in Year 7 or above - parents must tell us (via the booking form) that they consent to their child leaving Guildhall School premises unattended for breaks and at the end of the day. Students for whom consent is not given will not be permitted to leave the site without a parent present for collection.
For any questions, please contact:
- Beth Thomas (Project Manager) – Beth.Thomas@gsmd.ac.uk
- Spencer Down (Creative Director) – Spencer.Down@gsmd.ac.uk
General Information
- There are a limited number of places available and inclusion in the competition cannot be guaranteed. Selection will be on a first come first served basis for each Class. A full refund will be given to candidates who are not offered a place in the competition.
- Incomplete application forms will be considered invalid, and the candidate will not be allowed to participate in the competition.
- There will be a warm-up room available on the day of the competition.
- Candidates must supply their own accompanist and any backing track sent prior to the event.
- Copies of pieces to be performed must be provided for the adjudicators.
- Performance presentation will be taken into consideration and there is preference for pieces to be announced for the older categories.
- The adjudicators reserve the right to stop any performance that runs over the time limits stated above.
- By entering the competition students are agreeing to abide by the rules and details outlined above.
- No unofficial photographs may be taken and no recordings of performances may be made.
Venue information
Silk Street Theatre, Music Hall and Lecture Recital Room are located in the main Guildhall School building on Silk Street and for Barbican produced events the venue can also be accessed from the Barbican if you exit via the doors next to Barbican Kitchen on Level G.
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Silk Street
Barbican
EC2Y 8DT
