Cellist Layla Ballard wins top prize at Edinburgh's St Mary's Music School

Layla Ballard is currently in her last year at St Mary’s Music School, and was declared the winner of the 21st annual competition following a final with three other senior soloists. 

The other finalists were Benjamin Giblin (flute) aged 18 from Edinburgh, Lachlan Kennedy (violin) aged 17 from Glasgow and Bulgarian-Russian-American, Pavlina Gusheva, age 17 (piano).

Ballard said: 'Walking onto the stage after so many months of not being able to perform live felt like a huge achievement in itself. I was so happy to be able to play with my friends (it felt more like a concert than a competition). I wanted my programme to represent my own progress during my time at St Mary’s and when my name was called out by the judges as the winner I couldn’t quite believe it.

'To have won the DRP felt like such an amazing end to my time at this school and I couldn’t thank my friends and the teachers more for all the support they have provided to help me get this far and for preparing me for the next step in my musical career.'