Joshua Gibson chosen to represent Edinburgh at the Scottish Young Musicians Solo Performer of the Year
On Monday 30 March, all schools in Edinburgh were invited to take part in their local final at Portobello High School.
This year’s competition saw an incredible standard of musicianship from young performers across the city. The adjudicators faced the difficult task of selecting winners from an exceptionally talented group of musicians.
Scottish Young Musicians, Scotland’s leading festival of music competitions, has returned for 2026 to give young people across the country the chance to compete for the titles of Solo Performer of the Year, Ensemble of the Year and Brass Ensemble of the Year.
Participation in this career-enhancing competition has been offered to every Local Authority in the country as well as independent schools, in the hope that more young people than ever before will take up the opportunity to perform and take part.
Pianist Joshua Gibson in S5 at Queensferry High School was named the overall winner for their outstanding performance Liszt’s Liebestraume No3.
Their skill and interpretation impressed both audience and judges alike, securing them the top award in the Edinburgh final.
Joshua will now represent Edinburgh at the Scottish Young Musicians National Final at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on Sunday 24 May.
Runner up was singer Liza Aquado, an S6 pupil from St Augustine’s R.C. High School, who performed Times are Hard for Dreamers from Amelie. And the judges named Ivar Mackie, a guitarist from Portobello High School in S6 who played Unholy Confessions (Avenged Sevenfold) as Most Promising Young Musician.
Solo Performer of the Year is open to all young musicians who go to school in Scotland, whatever age or standard. Each local authority selects a regional finalist, with all of them hosting local and regional heats across different schools to decide who will represent their area at the National Final, which will take place at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on Sunday 24 May 2026.
In its 4 years, Scottish Young Musicians has become the largest and most important national music competition in schools, with around 99% of the school population taking part.
These competitions give young people a life-changing and unforgettable experience, as well as the confidence to continue to compete at the highest level.
It is open to all, across all socio-economic backgrounds, providing an opportunity which would not have existed otherwise.
