Young musician win for Peter, 12

A 12-year-old trombone player has been crowned the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2008, becoming the youngest winner in the history of the contest.

Peter Moore, of Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, beat four other finalists at Cardiff's Wales Millennium Centre.

Peter, whose family all play brass instruments, performed with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

Belfast-born Peter, who started playing trombone when he was six, is the 16th winner of the biennial competition.

Peter, who is in year seven at Chetham's School of Music, in Manchester, triumphed over finalists from the percussion, keyboard, strings and woodwind sections.

He has held the position of principal trombone of the National Children's Band of Great Britain for the last three years and is solo trombone player with Wingates Brass Band.

I want to be a soloist, so this is a fantastic platform to start from Peter Moore

He will follow in the footsteps of past winners, including Jennifer Pike, Emma Johnson and the 2006 winner, clarinettist Mark Simpson.

Peter, a tennis and football fan, added: "I want to be a soloist, so this is a fantastic platform to start from."

David Chatterton, Chetham's head of brass and percussion, said: "The competition has emphasised his ability to add an extra level of performance when it counts.

"Peter's maturity and dedication are fantastic, and it is great to see the freshness of his approach shine out in his playing when the chips are down."

Peter was joined in the final by Sheffield-born Jadran Duncumb, 18, on the guitar; flautist David Smith, 18, from Fife; Jim Molyneux, 17, a percussionist from Littleborough, Greater Manchester, and Ipswich student Erdem Misirlioglu, 18, a pianist.

The competition was hosted by Blue Peter presenter Gethin Jones and singer Aled Jones.

Judges included former royal harpist Catrin Finch, 27, and violinist Nicola Benedetti, 21, who won the competition in 2004.

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