Young Performers Awards Finalists Announced

Three talented young musicians have been selected as the grand finalists in a prestigious competition for emerging classical musicians. Violinist Beatrice Colombis, cellist Charlotte Miles, and pianist Dillon Chan will perform as soloists with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on November 3, competing for the top prize in a live broadcast.

The Grand Finalists

The three grand finalists represent the breadth of Australia's emerging classical talent. Between them, they have amassed significant performance experience and won a host of Australian and international competitions and prizes.

Beatrice Colombis, Violinist

Beatrice Colombis, 23, is an Italian-Australian violinist studying at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin after graduating from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. In 2020, Colombis formed the Cousin Quartet with her brother and cousins, which won Musica Viva's inaugural Strike A Chord competition. She was selected as an Emerging Artist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in 2023 and 2024, and has performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Karajan Akademie Orchestra and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Earlier in 2026, Colombis won the Michael Hill International Violin Competition. Colombis will perform Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in the grand final of the awards.

Charlotte Miles, Cellist

Charlotte Miles, 23, is a Melbourne-born cellist studying at the Kronberg Academy in Germany. She has won more than 100 Australian and international prizes, including the Australian National Young Virtuoso Award and 3MBS Young Performer of the Year. Miles also received the Melbourne Prize for Music's Professional Development Award in 2025. A passionate chamber musician, Miles has appeared at major festivals across Australia and Europe, performing with numerous ensembles. She plays a 1780 Joseph Hill cello on loan from an Australian collection. Miles will perform Elgar's Cello Concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in the grand final of the awards.

Dillon Chan, Pianist

Dillon Chan, 13, is a Melbourne-born pianist and year 9 music scholar at Camberwell Grammar School in Melbourne. His trio, Kingussie, won the 2026 Musica Viva Strike A Chord National Chamber Music Competition. Chan has also won major national and international piano competitions, including the Steinway Youth Piano Competition Australia and the Hephzibah Menuhin Memorial Awards. He performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician and is a Young Ambassador of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation. Chan will perform Chopin's Second Piano Concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in the grand final of the awards.

What's at Stake for the Finalists?

The three finalists will each perform a concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on November 3. Each competitor will receive a cash prize for the purpose of furthering their musical career. The following prizes will be awarded on the night of the grand final:

• Winner: $40,000 and the opportunity to record a solo studio album under a Classic label.
• Runner-up: $15,000 cash prize.
• Third place: $5,000 cash prize.

How to Watch and Listen to the Grand Final

Listen live to the grand final on Classic at 7pm AEDT on Tuesday, November 3, with pre-concert activity live from the Sydney Opera House from 3pm AEDT. In-person tickets are available for the grand final performance with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The grand final will be broadcast on TV and online on Thursday, November 5 at 8:50pm.