Charlotte Hawkins

This week, Charlotte’s features a whole host of Young Classical Stars, as she shines the spotlight on the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

The NYO is made up of more than 160 musicians from all over the UK, aged between 13 and 19. They come from very different backgrounds but they’re bound by their love for classical music, their desire to be challenged, and their enthusiasm for inspiring others.

This afternoon, Charlotte showcases the musicians of the NYO’s skills beyond their years with their recording of Holst’s The Planets.

This week, Charlotte’s Young Classical Star is the 29-year-old Russian soprano, Julia Lezhneva.

Lezhneva began playing piano and singing at the age of five, going on to study at the Moscow Conservatory. She has shared stage with fellow vocalists Juan Diego Flórez, Dame Kiri de Kanawa, Joyce DiDonato, Rolando Villazón and Anna Netrebko, and conductors Herbert Blomstedt, Phillippe Herreweghe, Fabio Bondi, Marc Minkowski and Sir Antonio Pappano.

This afternoon, Charlotte showcases her “angelic beauty” (New York Times) and “flawless technique” (Guardian) with a recording of Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate.

This week, Charlotte’s Young Classical Star is the 27-year-old British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor.

The son of a piano teacher, Grosvenor began playing the piano at the age of six, going on to study at the Royal Academy of Music. In 2011, he became the first British pianist in 60 years to sign to the prestigious Decca label and when he graduated in 2012, he received the Queen’s Award for Excellence for the best all-round student of the year.

Grosvenor is just one of the star soloists performing at Classic FM Live this coming Tuesday, when he’ll play Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, but this afternoon, Charlotte features his superb performance of Saint-Saens’ Piano Concerto No.2.