Clarinettist wins musical award

Mark hopes to be a professional composer

A teenage clarinettist from Liverpool has won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition.

Mark Simpson, 17, from West Derby, clinched the title with his performance of Carl Neilsen's Clarinet Concerto in the final in Gateshead on Saturday.

The King David High School student plays principal clarinet with the National Youth Orchestra.

Mark plans to study clarinet and composition at music college and hopes to be a professional composer.

He is currently studying Art and German and Music A levels and attends the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester

High standard

He has already had works performed by the New York Sinfonietta and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

He fought off competition from trumpet player Huw Morgan, Toby Kearney on percussion, guitar player David Massey and pianist Cordelia Williams.

Marin Alsop, Principal Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and chair of the panel of judges, said: "I was really impressed with the extraordinary standard of performances.

"It's heartening to see that the future of classical music is looking so bright."

Mark's winning recital can be seen again at www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo from Monday.