Norfolk young musician of the year winner announced

The event at the John Innes Centre on the outskirts of Norwich yesterday saw nine of the county's best musicians fight it out for the ultimate title.

From Mozart to Beethoven and Rachmaninov, the entrants performed a wide range of compositions to a high standard.

Pianist Sohyun Park, 21, from Wymondham, walked away with the top prize after performing Partita in A Minor - Sarabande and Bourree anglaise by Bach and Sonata No 1 - 1st movement by Martinu.

The Royal College of Music student came third in the contest last year. She said: 'I am delighted to have improved upon last year's achievement.

'I wanted to enter again for my own pride and to drive myself on to perform at a higher level.

'When I complete my studies I would like to be a concert pianist or a recording artist and hopefully this will give me a boost to go on and achieve that.'

Adjudicator Francis Angell, who is well known as an ensemble pianist and has performed all over Europe as well as Japan, Canada and the USA, praised the standard of performance at this year event.

She said: 'If that's the tip of the iceberg there must be an enormous iceberg of rising talent out there. It was truly impressive.'

She added that Miss Park had put on a 'beautiful' performance with an 'orchestral palate of colour'.

Second place and the Mrs E Sturgeon Piano Prize went to Joong-ha Park, also from Wymondham, while Charlotte Evans, on the oboe, came third.

Violinist Jamie Sapsford won the Michael Badminton String Prize while flautist Victoria Brandwood took the Aylsham Music Society Prize for the most promising woodwind/brass player.

The young musician competition was started by the Music at St George's Trust in 1991. It is now promoted by the Michael Badminton Young Musicians Trust.

Assistant adjudicator Jonathan Wortley has had a long association with the competition as accompanist and trustee. He said: 'Yet again we were delighted at the high standard of performances.'