A triple concerto featuring a cellist, horn player, and soprano saxophonist will premiere at the Royal Albert Hall during the final weekend of the Proms. The work, composed by Gwilym Simcock, reunites the three finalists from the 2016 BBC Young Musician of the Year competition: Sheku Kanneh-Mason on cello, Ben Goldscheider on horn, and Jess Gillam on saxophone. All three have gone on to become prominent figures in contemporary music since the competition.
The concerto originated from a casual conversation between Goldscheider and another musician in the industry several years after the competition. Recognizing that 2016 had been an exceptional year for the BBC Young Musician program, Goldscheider reached out to Kanneh-Mason and Gillam to collaborate on a project celebrating the decade since their competition. What began as a proposed chamber music tour expanded into a full BBC co-commission and major premiere, with additional performances scheduled in Birmingham, Antwerp, and Sofia.
Simcock, a Mercury Prize-shortlisted composer, jazz pianist, and horn player who was designated as the BBC’s first New Generation jazz artist in 2006, has created a three-movement work. The opening features an uplifting fanfare with jazz harmony influences. The second movement adopts a lyrical character and is dedicated to Simcock’s father, who passed away during the composition process. The final movement follows a traditional structure with extensive cadenza sections and improvisation opportunities.
The soloists have emphasized the collaborative and conversational nature of the piece. While not all performers must improvise, the work incorporates jazz-influenced solo passages, particularly in the saxophone part. The musicians have noted that performing together will require careful negotiation of rhythmic feel and articulation across three distinct instruments and playing styles, with the potential for significant artistic interchange both among the soloists and with the orchestra.
Beyond this premiere, all three soloists continue expanding the contemporary repertoire. Kanneh-Mason will present the UK premiere of a cello concerto by Edmund Finnis in October. Goldscheider has commissioned over 70 horn pieces and is developing a site-specific project at the Hayward Gallery alongside four forthcoming concertos from composers including Anna Clyne and Cheryl Frances-Hoad. Gillam will headline a show at the Albert Hall next year featuring five new commissions.
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