ALEX McCartney, from York, will be among the finalists for the 2019 York Early Music International Young Artists Competition this summer.

He is a member of Duellists, the only British representatives in the July 11 to 13 event at the National Centre for Early Music, York.

Taking part too will be Consort Laurentien, from Canada; Due Oratori and The Butter Quartet, from the Netherlands; El Parnasillo and L’Apothéose, from Spain; Duo Arnal-d’Anfray, from France; El Gran Teatro del Mundo and Ensemble .q.p.i.t., from Switzerland and Ensemble Feuervogel, from Germany.

The competition takes place every two years and this year received a record-breaking 58 entries featuring musicians from 34 countries. “It offers opportunities for performance, recording and broadcasting, in addition to international exposure, and has invariably given a major boost to young professional careers,” says Dr Delma Tomlin, director of the NCEM.

Applications were invited from instrumental and/or vocal ensembles with a minimum of two musicians, who perform works from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, using appropriate historically informed playing techniques, instruments and stylistic conventions.

The ten chosen ensembles will give informal recitals at the York Early Music Festival on July 11 and 12 at the NCEM, introduced by performer and musicologist John Bryan. The climax will be the competition on July 13, judged by an international panel of performers and promoters. This panel includes representatives of the broadcasting, recording, festival and music promotion worlds who see the competition as a prime opportunity to identify and select new and promising young talent.

On the judging panel are Tobias Wolff, director of the International Handel Festival in Göttingen, Barbara Maria Willi, head of the Early Music department and professor of harpsichord at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts, Brno, Czech Republic, and lutenist and York Early Music Festival advisor Elizabeth Kenny. So too are Bart Demuyt, director of the Alamire Foundation and artistic director of AMUZ (Flanders Festival, Antwerp), and Philip Hobbs, chief producer for Linn Records.

“We were overwhelmed by the number of entries we received this year and the interest that the competition generates all over the world,” says Delma. “Deciding who would go through to the next stage was a real challenge for the panel, as once again the standard of work submitted was extremely high. The passion and enthusiasm demonstrated by these young musicians is always a delight and we continue to be inspired by the emerging talent the competition attracts. We look forward to welcoming the finalists to one of Europe’s most important centres for Early Music, where they will not only play an important part in this year’s York Early Music Festival, but also gain experience that will be invaluable in helping them progress their musical careers.”

The winners will be announced immediately after the concert. Each recital will be recorded by BBC Radio 3 and highlights will be featured on The Early Music Show.

Charles Hutchinson