Last night, British oboist Ewan Millar became the first section final winner of the 73rd Annual Music Competition, taking home £5,000 and becoming the first of our four soloists who will proceed to the Gold Medal Final, which will take place at Wigmore Hall in July this year.
Four soloists competed in the Wind and Brass section final. Margot Pommellet flute, Salvatore Allesandro Miceli saxophone, Meggie Murphy trombone, and Ewan Millar oboe delighted the crowd in the busy Princess Alexandra Hall. The adjudicators James Buckle, Sarah Burnett, Gavin Henderson CBE, and Geoff Parkin chose Ewan Millar as the night’s winner and the first soloist who will go onto compete for the Gold Medal and a further £15,000.
Ewan Millar was awarded the Dyers Company Award for Wind, Brass & Percussion in memory of Lady Barbirolli (the exceptional oboist, and chair of the panel of adjudicators of the ROSL Annual Music Competition for nearly twenty years). Ewan is a prominent young oboist building a career in the UK. In 2020 Ewan won the woodwind final of BBC Young Musician and since then has been performing as a soloist in recitals around the UK. As a freelancer, he has performed as principal oboe with the RPO, Aurora Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and London Concertante. Ewan studied at St. Hilda’s College, Oxford and the Royal Academy of Music. Ewan was joined onstage by his longstanding duo partner Tomos Boyles for the impressive performance.
Ewan was not the only winner of the night: the Phillip Jones Memorial Prize for an outstanding brass player was awarded to trombonist Meggie Murphy, currently still studying at the Royal Academy of Music, who made a lasting impression on the panel and audience alike.
ROSL has continued to partner with Making Music to offer section final winners the chance to join the Philip & Dorothy Green Young Artist Award (PDGYA) for one year. As winner of the Wind and Brass Section Final, Ewan will be featured in the new Recommended Artist Guide, and have the opportunity to be booked for performances with Making Music’s member promoters.
Catch up on Ewan’s prizewinning performance and the electrifying section final here!
ROSL Annual Music Competition Section Finals take place each Tuesday 7-9pm at Over-Seas House, Park Place, St James’s Street, London, SW1A 1LR.
- 11 February: Brass, Wind and Percussion
- Section winner – Ewan Millar oboe
- Phillip Jones Memorial Prize for an outstanding brass player – Meggie Murphy trombone
- 28 February: Singers
- 25 February: Keyboard
- 4 March: Strings
- 11 March: Strings and Keyboard Ensembles
- 18 March: Mixed Ensembles
- 25 March: Overseas Awards
- 18 July: Gold Medal Final – Wigmore Hall