In March 2025, the SSO was delighted to work with the Sussex Young Musician of the Year 2024, Riya Hamie, when she performed the Shostakovich Cello Concerto with us. The Young Musician competition, which is run by Coro Nuovo (instagram @coronuovo), gives young Sussex-based musicians the opportunity to win some financial support to go towards their ongoing musical development. Both Riya and her sister, Berniya, were finalists last year with Riya ultimately taking the top spot.
On New Year's Day, Berniya and Riya are to be guests of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, with Sakari Orama, and they will perform Beethoven's Triple Concerto on Radio 3 as part of an all-Beethoven concert.
Riya, from Brighton, is a very talented musician having been a full scholarship student at the Royal Academy of Music as the recipient of the Sir Elton John Award, where she studied with John Myerscough.
She won has numerous prizes including the Barbara Boissard Junior Concerto Competition, Marjorie Humby Memorial Competition and the prestigious Peter Morrison Concerto Competition – resulting in a performance of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto with the RCMJD Symphony Orchestra in March 2022 to standing ovation. Riya also won the RCMJD Chamber Music Competition in 2023 with her string quintet.
She is a prize winner of numerous competitions across the UK, including the Junior Concerto prizes at both the Hastings International Festival and Brighton Springboard Festival, and frequently performs concertos with UK orchestras.
As a chamber musician, Riya is a founder member of the Astatine Trio, laureates of several international competitions and mentored by the legendary Alfred Brendel. In 2022, they were awarded first prize at the Birmingham International Piano Chamber Music Competition, Senior Intercollegiate Piano Trio Competition, and the Virtuoso & Belcanto International Chamber Competition in Lucca, Italy. The trio are Britten Pears Young Artists for the 2023/24 season and made their debut appearance on BBC Radio 3 ‘In Tune’ in February 2024. It is this trio which will be heard on New Year's Day. Instagram - @astatinetrio.
We can't wait to hear more from Riya and follow her progress with interest.
