Winners Announced for the Lark Music Making Competition: Celebrating Amateur Musicians

We’re thrilled to reveal the winners of the very first Lark Music-Making Competition, a vibrant new initiative inspired by our partnership with the renowned Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO), one of the UK’s leading ensembles. This competition was created with the aim to shine a spotlight on the incredible talent of amateur musicians across the UK.

The competition attracted almost 100 submissions, each reflecting a high level of creativity, passion and musicality.

The expert panel of judges—including renowned presenter Tom Service, accomplished violinist Tania Davis, and esteemed conductor Enyi Okpara— were deeply impressed by the calibre of entries received. After meticulous deliberation, the judges have  selected the winning entries!

18 – 24 Category Winner:

Pianist Amy Jerman’s performance of her own composition – The Starling – was described by judges as “cinematic” and “incredibly well written”. Jerman was inspired to write the work while watching the birds on the Purbeck coastline after hearing a performance at the Swanage Jazz Festival.

Jerman, a student from Wareham, Dorset, is a multi-instrumentalist whose love of music began aged 14 when she received her first saxophone. In 2024, Jerman won Bloomington Symphony Orchestra’s ‘Call for Scores’ competition for Seasons, and work written for orchestra. She was invited to the University of Cambridge, in 2023, after winning ‘Caius Explore’ with a piece written for solo cello. Jerman plans to use her winnings to experience more live music in person.

25 to 39 Category Winner:

Harpist Llewella White experienced an awe-inspiring murmuration of starlings while walking through a field; the encounter inspired her work for solo harp, Murmuration. Judges commented that it was “beautiful to listen to” and was performed with “poise and confidence”, concluding that “the starlings are lucky to have this music written for them.”

White, who works as a counsellor and a manager in London, began to learn the harp as a student in Nottingham. When working in a central-London emergency department during the pandemic, she noticed an increase of birdsong in the city: uniting it with music has been a passion ever since. Llewella hopes to invest in recording equipment to continue her musical journey.

40+ Category Winner: Rob Johnston

Guitarist Rob Johnston was deeply moved by the surprising power of a dawn chorus of woodland birds, heard at 5am while camping near Petworth, West Sussex. The experience inspired his work, Mind the Birds, which judges described as “engaging” and a “joyful controlled explosion of creativity and virtuosity […] as rich as the dawn chorus itself!”

Johnston, a former art teacher from Southsea, Hampshire, has enjoyed a long and varied journey with music and plays guitar, piano, accordion and percussion. He has played locally in folk clubs and at festivals and hopes to use his prize money to fund a recording.

Each winner will receive a £1,000 cash prize made available by Lark Music and a year’s subscription to Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s Digital Concert platform (RRP £170), with 19 concert broadcasts available to watch live and for 30 days.

The Lark Music Making Competition not only recognises the achievements of these talented composers but also encourages continued artistic growth and exploration in their musical journeys. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all winners and participants for their remarkable contributions.

For further highlights and coverage of the competition, stay tuned to Lark Music and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s social media channels for more from the talented musicians who took part.