The Beatrice Huntington Award for Cellists
The annual Beatrice Huntington Award was established by William Syson (1930-2019) in memory of his great friend, Beatrice Huntington (1889-1988), an accomplished Scottish Artist and Cellist.
There are two categories each year: Junior Award (age 12-17) and the Senior Award (age 18-22). The winner in each category will receive £5,000 and First runners up will receive £2,500. The judges reserve the right to split prizes into smaller denominations if there is not a clear winner.
In 2025 were two joint winners for the Junior Award, and 4 runner up. You can meet our 2025 Award Winners below, a huge congratulations to them. We will re-open for applications for the 2026 Awards later in 2025, when an application form will be accessible on this webpage.
The Awards have now been running since 2020, to view a list of previous Award Winners, please scroll down this page.
2025 Beatrice Huntington Award Winners
Senior Award Winner
Sarah Baker
Sarah Baker began playing cello at age three and attends the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, studying with Dr. Alison Wells. Sarah has soloed with The Utah Symphony, Utah Philharmonic and with the Timpanogos, American Fork and Warminster Symphonies. Sarah won the Utah Symphony Youth Guild Competition in 2020 and 2016 and the Washington Performing Arts Society Feder Competition in 2015. Sarah and her sister Hannah were also selected to perform on NPR’s popular From The Top Program in 2022. Sarah has won the Governor’s Chamber Music Prize and was the runner-up for the Beatrice Huntington Award in 2024. Sarah will be performing at Wigmore Hall as a member of the Waverley Quartet this spring. With her mother and siblings, Sarah has performed in musical group ”Jenny Oaks Baker & Family Four" with orchestras and choirs throughout the country including The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra on Temple Square, the Millennial Choirs and Orchestras and The Utah Symphony. A favourite with audiences, they have performed throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and in Africa. Their debut album, “Jenny Oaks Baker & Family Four” hit #4 on the Billboard Classical Crossover and Classical Charts and their most recent album, “Joy to the World” hit #7 on the Billboard Classical Crossover Chart.
Senior Award First Runner Up
Noah Chee
Noah Chee is a Korean American cellist currently studying under the tutelage of Dr. Alison Wells at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Noah grew up as a visual artist and never thought that his career would turn him into a musician. From a young age he won numerous awards and competitions at art festivals. He has won multiple first prize awards from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Arts Festival and has had his works displayed in LACMA. But everything changed when he decided to drop it all and pursue a career as a cellist at the start of high school. Noah spent his high school years in the prestigious Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles, California taking lessons from Marek Szpakiewicz and the principal cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra, Richard Weiss. During his time in high school, Noah has received many awards and won many competitions. Most notably the Presidential Award in Musical Excellence, Southern California Bach Festival 1st prize, and being the winner of the California state competition, Vocé. He is an active participant in summer festivals, chamber groups, and orchestras. Noah was sat principal in the Interlochen World Youth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of JoAnn Falletta and the following year under Cristian Măcelaru.
Senior Award Second Runner Up
Emily Brockett
Emily Brockett, age 20, is a Glasgow-born cellist currently in her final year at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she studies with Betsy Taylor. A former student of the Junior Conservatoire, Emily received both the Dame Colette Bowe Award and the Sam Hutchings Prize in recognition of her musical promise and dedication.
She has performed widely throughout the UK and Japan, with appearances alongside the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the GRIT Orchestra, and the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland and Great Britain. She also recently appeared as a soloist at Bothwell Parish Church and took part in the “Variations” chamber course in Ullapool, performing with members of the Edinburgh Quartet.
Emily has participated in masterclasses with internationally renowned artists including David Watkin, Pei-Jee Ng, Pedro de Alcantara, Joona Pulkkinen, and Mark Bailey—experiences that have been deeply formative in her musical development.
Beyond the concert stage, Emily shares her creative voice through a growing YouTube channel, where she arranges and performs original material and reimagined works on both acoustic and electric cello. Her work reflects a keen interest in exploring new ways to connect with audiences and expand the possibilities of her instrument.
Joint Junior Award
Winners
Junior Award 2025
Winner - Johnny Gray
Johnny has been a Cellist for 9 years now and has been studying at Douglas Academy for almost 4 years which has brought him many opportunities. For example, Johnny won the Douglas Academy Concerto Competition in 2023 and 2025 and the WSSSO Concerto Competition 2025.
Johnny has been appointed principal Cello at the RCS Junior Conservatoire and at Juniors he has taken part in the Nan Christie memorial award which he also won this year. More recently johnny won the Rotary Young Musician of the year 2025 and the Ailie Cullen Memorial prize at the Glasgow Music Festival. johnny wishes to study at RCS as the feels the tuition is fantastic there with so many opportunities for musicians pursuing a career in music.
Johhny love’s Rostropovich’s message about the Cello where he wants to bring the Cello up to the popularity of the violin or the piano. Johnny hopes he can inspire others to learn the Cello as well.
Winner - Magnus Holden
Magnus Holden is a 13-year-old cellist from Falkirk. He began playing the cello at the age of 6 with Tim Paxton and currently studies privately with Ruth Beauchamp.
Magnus is a music scholar at George Heriots School. He is also a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland’s Development Orchestra and Edinburgh Youth Orchestra. Recently Magnus won the Horace Fellow Medal for Chamber Music with his string quartet at the Edinburgh Competition Festival
Magnus also studies piano and is a keen singer. He sings with the National Boys Choir of Scotland and has also sung in the children’s chorus in several productions with Scottish Opera. In 2023 he shared the solo role of Gherardino in Scottish Opera’s production of Gianni Schicchi.
Magnus is delighted to have been selected as the joint winner of the Junior Award.
Junior Award Runners Up
First Runner Up - Patrick Fourie
Patrick Fourie (2010) was born into a family of classical string players in Glasgow, Scotland. He started cello lessons at the age of 5 with Marie Connell, and soon thereafter joined the Sistema Scotland orchestra project. Patrick was subsequently awarded a fully funded place at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Junior Department through the Transitions programme, giving him the opportunity to further his studies with Susan Dance.
Patrick is currently attending St. Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh on a fully funded boarding place through the Scottish Government’s Aided Places scheme. He is studying cello with the esteemed pedagogue Ruth Beauchamp, thus continuing in the Joan Dickson school of Scottish cellists, as well as piano studies with Philip Sharp. Patrick also receives regular orchestral coaching from the Chamber Orchestra of Europe principal cellist, William Conway.
Patrick is a keen chamber musician and orchestral cellist, performing regularly with the RCS Symphony and NYOS, as well as in Europe as a member of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra “Young” project. A few interesting facts about Patrick; he is fluent in the medieval Celtic language of Scottish Gaelic (one of only 80 000 speakers worldwide), he has never had a cavity in his teeth, and in his most recent Spotify stats he was in the top 1% of Beethoven listeners worldwide (he spent a respectable 968 mins in the company of the big man). Patrick plays on a fine 19th century Italian cello of the Brescian school.
Second Runner Up - Nicholas Cheung
Nicholas is currently 17 years old and began his musical journey at the age of 6 when he first started playing the cello. His love for music began in Hong Kong, where he joined his primary school orchestra and later became a member of the La Salle College Symphony Orchestra. He studied under Wilfred Ma, a former adjunct lecturer at the Hong Kong Baptist University Department of Music, for many years before moving to Birmingham, where he joined the Birmingham Schools Symphony Orchestra.
Now based in Edinburgh, Nicholas serves as the Principal Cellist of the Edinburgh Schools Symphony Orchestra and is also a member of the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra under the guidance of Beth Walker. He is deeply involved in chamber music at school, regularly performing in duets and quartets. Passionate about using music to bring joy to others, Nicholas actively contributes to the music ministry at Ps and Gs Church in Edinburgh and previously at St. Martin in the Bull Ring in Birmingham, where he has the privilege of sharing his love for music with the community.
Beyond performance, Nicholas enjoys composition, particularly writing film music and organ re-harmonisations. Some of his favourite composers include Saint-Saën and Kabalevsky. Inspired by renowned cellists like Jacqueline du Pré and Yo-Yo Ma, he plans to use the award to invest in a new cello.
Third Runner Up - Rowan Elizabeth Maclean
Rowan Maclean is a 14yr old cellist from the Highlands of Scotland. She began playing cello when she was six having been taught by Hillary Fielding and once she moved on, Rowan transitioned over to the Lochaber Music School where she is now taught by Clare Reynolds. As part of her studies, she has played with the Lochaber Senior Orchestra and has played at numerous concerts and local music festivals. Rowan has some health issues which can restrict her physically, but she is an extremely hard worker and she loves her cello and finds playing therapeutic, even playing her cello during hospital stays, benefitting staff and other patients. Currently, Rowan plays a cello kindly donated to Lochaber Music School by Audrey Scott cellist and founder of the school but has now outgrown the half size. She is delighted to receive an award which will enable her to purchase a new cello and continue with her musical studies.
Fourth Runner Up - Oliver Byrom
Fourteen-year-old Oliver Byrom, a student at Edinburgh’s Trinity Academy, has been learning the cello since the age of eight. Throughout this time, he has been under the instruction of Lindsey Martindale through the Edinburgh Instrumental Music Service.
He plays in the Edinburgh String Training Orchestra (ESTO) and is a key member of his school’s string group, frequently playing at concerts and events. Oliver also plays the piano, further developing his musical skills.
Outside of music, Oliver enjoys climbing, hill walking, and playing video games. He also has a keen interest in live music, particularly orchestral performances.
Oliver is delighted to have received this recognition and looks forward to continuing his musical journey.
Previous Beatrice Huntington Award Winners
2024 Award Winners
Senior Award Winner - Jae in Kim Kang
Senior Runner Up - Sarah Baker
No Junior Winner, 6 Award given:
Junior Award - Mika Wereszczynska
Junior Award - Aldyth Tierney-Hynes
Junior Award - Hannah Swinney
Junior Award - Emily Savage
Junior Award - Danny Urquhart
Junior Award - Luca Sant Angelo
2023 Award Winners
Senior Award Winner - Shakira Segalla-Humbert
Joint Junior Award Winner - Roshni Bhaumik
Joint Junior Award Winner - Anna Sciarretta
2022 Award Winners
Award Winner - Will Archibald
Award Winner - Jaylayne Mitchell
2021 Award Winners
Joint Senior Award Winner - Madelyn Kowalski
Joint Senior Award Winner - Hugo Eeadle
Junior Award Winner - Layla Ballard
2020 Award Winners
Award Winner - Rhona Pryce
Award Winner - Finn Mannion