Star makers

ORA is helping the next generation with the launch this year of its Composer Competition. Its Youth category is aimed at under-19 year-olds from all backgrounds and will offer intensive mentoring to ten outstanding talents. The Open category, meanwhile, will call for ‘reflective works’ from composers of all ages, with the winner chosen at next year’s competition final concert by a jury chaired by ORA president Stephen Fry (above). Each work chosen for the final in both categories will be recorded live. ‘We want the competition to reach composers of all ages,’ says Digby. ‘After all, Mendelssohn wrote his Octet when he was 16 and Richard Strauss was 84 when he wrote his Four Last Songs.’