(Image: Jen Townsend Flute)
A flautist from York has been named one of three winners in a national music competition.
Jen Townsend impressed judges in the BSO Music-Making Competition, a contest designed for non-professional musicians across the UK.
Now in its second year, the competition is run by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and sponsored by Lark Music.
Ms Townsend, winner of the 40+ category, paused her musical journey for more than 20 years while working as a midwife and carer.
She returned to music in 2024, inspired by her new partner and determined to reconnect with her passion.
She said: "I hope my story will inspire other people to return to making music."
After rising through music exams and county ensembles in her youth, Ms Townsend began undergraduate study before life took her in a different direction.
She resumed formal studies last year at the University of Leeds before enrolling at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM).
Judges described her performance of Edwin Roxburgh’s Stardrift as "extraordinary" and "virtuosic".
She was introduced to the piece by her teacher, Dr Carla Rees, who studied with the composer.
Ms Townsend plans to use her £1,000 prize money to help fund her postgraduate studies.
More than 100 people entered the competition, which invited UK residents to share their music under the theme "your music, your way".
Thirty finalists were selected, and three winners were awarded the top prize.
The judging panel included presenter Helen Arney, sound engineer Chris Caton, violinist Tania Davis, conductor Enyi Okpara, broadcaster and writer Tom Service, BSO principal cello Jesper Svedberg, and guitarist Dagan Wilkin.
Entrants were assessed on control, creativity, musicality, and communication.
Dougie Scarfe OBE DL, chief executive of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, said: "The BSO Music-Making Competition exists to inspire, encourage and initiate music-making, so to see such an outpouring of musicality from people across the UK is deeply moving.
"The range of talent and breadth of instrumentation on display confirms what we know to be true: creativity is all around us if we take the time to listen.
"A heartfelt thank you to everyone who submitted a recording and shared their music-making with us — it means so much — and congratulations to the winning entrants, Charlie, Brandon and Jen."
Brian Hillstead, partnership account executive at Lark Music, said: "At Lark Music, we speak to musicians every day about protecting their instruments, so we’re delighted to sponsor the BSO Music-Making Competition and support an initiative that celebrates the creativity, dedication, and passion behind those instruments.
"The standard of entries was exceptional, and we were inspired by the variety of instruments and musical styles on display, as well as the dedication each musician brought to their music-making."