Fifteen musicians from across the county are set to compete in the 36th annual Essex Young Musician of the Year 2019 next month.

Musicians aged between 12 and 25 will perform in front of a panel of five judges at the Budworth Hall, High Street, Ongar, on Sunday, July 7.

Organized by Ongar Music Club the prestigious competition is open to budding performers who are either born in, lived in, or studied in Essex.

Contestants in this year’s line-up hail from are from Southend, Felsted, Chigwell, Colchester, Braintree, Hadleigh, Romford, Chelmsford, Ingatestone, Manningtree, Havering and Basildon.

Ongar Music Club new chairman, Jane Webster, said: "I hold both Ongar Music Club and the Essex Young Musician of the Year competition dear to my heart.

"When I won the competition at the beginning of my 30-year career it was a great financial and professional boost.

"The club has always supported me, attending my London concerts at such venues as the

Queen Elizabeth Hall and St John's Smith Square, in opera at Covent Garden and in musicals at Her Majesty's and the London Palladium.”

The winner will receive £1,000, the Essex Young Musician of the Year Cup and a professional recital engagement.

The runner-up will receive £400 and The Musgrave Cup, the third placed musician will receive £300 and the Ongar Music Club medal.

Fourth place entrant will receive £200 and the Ongar Round Table Medal while the fifth finalist will receive £100 of Chimes Music Shop Tokens and the Webster Medal.

Ms Webster added: "I was delighted to be asked to become chairman of Ongar Music Club, and we decided to set up an Admin Team to relaunch the competition.

"The club's distinguished president, internationally acclaimed pianist John Lill will attend the competition and present the awards."

The first round of the finalist’s performances will commence at 11.45am, Sunday, July 7, and is open to the public.

The Essex Young Musician of the Year Award’s official final will take the form of a concert at 6.30pm, on the same day.

Tickets cost £10 and will be available on the door or can be booked in advance by emailing jw@ongarmusicclub.org.uk

For more details about the Essex Young Musician of the Year competition go to http://www.ongarmusicclub.org.uk/essex_young_musician_2019.htm