Rhiannon Symonds through to AXA final

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Thanks to all of you who voted for young star trombonist Rhiannon Symonds, from Yorkley, she has made it through to the final in the Ambition AXA Awards in The Arts category along with film maker Alfie Barker, 15, and violinist Clare Rees-Zimmermann, also 15.

Last week, Rhiannon, 14, was down to the last five in her group and a national vote over 5 days shot her into the finals to be held at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on 30 November hosted by Carol Vorderman. A judging panel consisting of celebrity judge Alex James (bassist for Britpop group Blur and contestant on BBC series Maestro in 2008), Chair Sir Alan Steer, a senior AXA executive and a member of the Arts Council England are now considering the three finalists applications and will announce their winner at the special awards dinner. The Ambition Award for The Arts is awarded to a young person aged 11 -18 who dreams of reaching the top in their field and in order to help them do this the winner will receive a bespoke personalised development package worth £40,000.

Rhiannon says:

"Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me. It’s been staggering the amount of support I received – from the readers of the local press and websites such as the BTS and 4barsrest, established professional trombonists like Dennis Rollins, Roger Argente, Chris Thomas (Cory Band) and Carol Jarvis to my instrument manufacturer Michael Rath, school friends, band members/directors and my family. I can’t thank you all enough! Fingers crossed now that the judging panel like what they see, but all the finalists are incredible, so I’m just delighted to be in with a chance of the award. It's been a great few days, what with the news of the AXA Award, a performance at the Royal Albert Hall with the Gwent Youth Brass Band for the Schools Prom and a letter from the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Great Britain telling me my audition has been successful, so I'm in the NYWO for 2012!"

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