Young musician pipped to title

Daniel said he was "really pleased" with his performance

A 15-year-old trumpeter from Wales has been beaten in the finals of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition.

Daniel de Grouchy-Lambert, from Machen, near Caerphilly, had reached the final by winning the brass section during a week of competitions.

But he and three others were beaten by violinist Nicola Benedetti, 16, from West Kilbride, Ayrshire, Scotland.

Daniel, who played Arutiunian's Trumpet Concerto in A-Flat Major, said he was pleased with his performance.

The year-11 student at Wycliff Independent Christian School in Machen said:

"I played as well as I could have and I'm really pleased with that.

"I felt great although I was a bit apprehensive before going on."

Nicola Benedetti played Szymanowski's Violin Concerto No 1

The teenager, who practices for two-and-a-half hours every day, is hoping for a career in trumpeting.

He said: "I've got my GCSE coming up now which isn't so good and I've been given a recital which I think will be on BBC Radio 3 sometime in the autumn.

"I will also be playing solo at the Royal Albert Hall as a result of winning the Texaco Young Musician of Wales award last year."

Daniel said he planned to use his £2,000 prize money from Sunday's competition to invest in his future and hoped to buy a laptop.

Announcing the judges' decision at Edinburgh's Usher Hall, chairman of the seven-member panel actor John Sessions said: "I have had the most extraordinary, humbling afternoon.

"To have seen the work of these young people this afternoon is quite astonishing - the combination of dedication, flair and application.

"This has been an extraordinary year. The musicianship has been extremely high."