LILLY Vadaneaux has become the youngest ever winner of the NCEM Composers Award 2013 in York at the age of 11.

Lilly was also the youngest ever entrant in the age 18 and under category of the annual competition run by the National Centre for Early Music, York, in partnership with BBC Radio 3 and the early music group Florilegium.

Meanwhile, Joseph Howard, 20, won the age 19 to 25 category at last Saturday’s final with his composition Move! This will be premièred by Florilegium, along with Lilly’s Sarabande in F sharp minor, at the Bath International Music Festival at St. Mary’s Church, Bathwick on June 1 at 5pm, when it will be recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s Early Music Show on June 23.

Lilly, from London, studies composition with Paul Whitmarsh and piano with Stephen Coombs at the Guildhall School of Music junior department.

“The viola d’amore and its resonating sound inspired me to build on a theme that came to me one day at the piano,” she says of her winning composition. “Just like the key of F sharp minor, the theme is bright and sad at the same time. The flute and the viola d’amore carry the melody together, supporting each other like dance partners. The cello anchors the harmony with its deep, extended notes, while the harpsichord part glides up and down the keyboard in rhythmic waves.

“When the opening theme returns, the melody is never exactly as it was – the musicians are in a new place, playing echoes of something from the past, like a memory.”

Fellow winner Joseph Howard began his musical studies at 12, studying piano under the tutelage of University of York composer Edd Caine. The first public performance of his work was given at York Late Music Festival 2011 and he is now in his second year at the University of Birmingham, studying acoustic and electro-acoustic composition.

For the competition, young composers were invited to create a contemporary response to the dance suite. They had to write a new instrumental dance for the four core players of Florilegium, scored for flute or recorder; violin or viola d’amore; cello or piccolo-cello; harpsichord or organ.

Seven finalists were selected and invited to the NCEM last Saturday, when their entries were workshopped by Florilegium and Christopher Fox, composer and Professor in Music at Brunel University, London.

The other finalists in the 18-and-under category were Lillie Harris, Kethaki Prathivadi, and Yuanfan Yang. Joining Howard in the older category were Seán Doherty and Marianna Filippi.

Florilegium performed each piece at a public concert, in front of a panel of judges comprising Delma Tomlin, director of the NCEM, Chris Wines, senior music producer of BBC Radio 3, and Ashley Solomon, Florilegium’s director.

Delma says: “Yet again we’ve been astonished by the consistently high standard of entries and wealth of ideas around the given theme. It’s inspiring to witness these young composers collaborate with each other and clearly enjoy their time at the NCEM with members of Florilegium and Christopher Fox.

“We look forward to the premieres of the winning pieces at Bath International Music Festival, which is a great honour for these young composers at the outset of their careers.” Chris Wines is equally enthusiastic. “BBC Radio 3 is delighted to be a partner – for the fifth year running – of this increasingly successful and creative award for young composers.”

Florilegium director Ashley Solomon concurs. “We’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of this competition in collaboration with BBC Radio 3 and the NCEM,” he says.

“All of the compositions presented in last Saturday’s performance deserve to win accolades for their inventiveness, creativity and unique take on the original remit.

“While all the finalists clearly understood the challenge set in writing a contemporary work for period instruments, the two winning works stand out as exceptional compositions.”

• Last weekend’s concert is available until May 20 at new.livestream.com/YorkEarlyMusic/composers

The shortlisted entries can be heard at ncem.co.uk/composersaward2013