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Today the ´óÏó´«Ã½ unveils the three winning works in their ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms Young Composers' Competition – the culmination of their annual Inspire scheme.

The prestigious competition has attracted hundreds of entries from 12 to 18 year-old composers, all vying for the unrivalled opportunity to have their work heard by large audiences at this year's ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms, as well as receiving a sought-after ´óÏó´«Ã½ commission.

Now in its thirteenth year, the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms Inspire Young Composers' Competition continues to provide a platform for budding composers across the UK, providing what most composers only dream of – the chance to have their music played by professional musicians and broadcast on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 3. Entries of all genres and for any instrumentation are welcomed and each composition is judged on the following criteria – compositional idea, originality, creativity and appropriate technical ability. The only rules are that entries should last no longer than five minutes and be scored so that other musicians can perform them.

Past winners of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms Inspire Young Composers' Competition include Thomas Hewitt Jones – now hugely celebrated for his commercial and ballet scores – and Alissa Firsova, whose first major ´óÏó´«Ã½ commission was premiered at last year's ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms.

The winners of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms Inspire Young Composers' Competition 2011 are:

12-16 Category:
George Rimmer from Manchester – Arkansas Chuggabug 8

17-18 Category:
Hannah Dilkes from Surrey – Two Nonsenses: Bongaloo
Jack Sheen from Stockport – Aviaries

Entries are judged by a panel of leading composers from varied musical fields. The members of this year's panel are: Andrew Kurowski, Stuart Macrae, Anna Meredith, Stephen Montague, Gabriel Prokofiev and Fraser Trainer.

Winning works will be performed by the Aurora Orchestra at the Royal College of Music on Saturday 6 August, and broadcast on Radio 3 on Friday 12 August. Each composer will also receive a coveted ´óÏó´«Ã½ commission.

The ten highly commended entrants are:

12-16 Categories:
Eva Barnsley from Cornwall – So Many People
Michael Brailey from Devon – Prokingrass
Daniel Evans from Somerset – String Quartet No.1 'Anonymous D' dedicated to Joe Nicholls
Susana Gomez Vazquez from Norfolk – Quien Es?
Yuanfan Yang from Manchester – Waves

17-18 Category:
James Albany Hoyle from Leicester – Sinfonia Brevis
Rob Jones from Berkshire – Contemplation: Chase
Sylvia Lim from London – Music for the Station Concourse
Owain Park from Bristol – Full Moon and Little Frieda
Henry Tozer from Devon – Clearing Mists

As part of the Inspire scheme, Composer Labs were held up and down the UK between February and April, giving aspiring composers the chance to join professional musicians from some of the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s performing groups, top composers and the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms team in a day of music-making, exploration and discovery. Young people brought along their instruments and ideas and created pieces which were performed by the world-class musicians in attendance at the end of each day. Labs were held in Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, London and Manchester and attracted over 100 participants.

Roger Wright, Director, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms and Controller, Radio 3, says: "The ´óÏó´«Ã½ remains one of the world's leading commissioners of new music and it is important to provide high level support to the next generation of talent. Through both the Young Composers' Competition and the Composer Labs we aim to help the broadest range of young composers around the UK to gain skills and confidence in expressing themselves through music and also to provide a rich set of opportunities to the young composers of the future."

All entrants are also invited to attend an Inspire Day on Saturday 6 August. The day provides an opportunity for young composers to meet professional performing musicians and composers, their peers and key music industry people, to participate in creative workshops and attend a ´óÏó´«Ã½ Proms concert.

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