National Young Musician Competition 2025 Final

Talented harpist Xiao-Xi impressed the judges and audience alike in the instrumentalist category of the competition’s national final, which took place at New City College, London, in March.

Xiao-Xi was one of 12 young musicians from across the UK and Ireland to compete in the national final, having overcome three previous qualifying rounds, including district and regional finals.

The competition is split into vocalist and instrumentalist categories, showcasing a wide range of genres and performance styles, from classical to musical theatre.

In the competition, the mesmerising harpist performed Handel’s ‘Passacaglia’ and ‘Nataliana’ by Deborah Henson-Conant.

The competition judges, conductor and composer Scott Stroman and opera singer Grace O’Malley were blown away by the standard and presence of the 12 young musicians.