A 12-year-old cellist has been chosen as the 2010 Cambridge Young Musician of the Year. Judges Michael Young and Christine Hankin selected 12-year-old Victoria Nicoll to be the overall winner of the competition – an outstanding achievement when the competition is open to those up to 18 years of age. She was awarded a prize of £250 and will be offered a performing opportunty with the Ely Sinfonia Orchestra.

The Finals of the competition took place in March 2010 at the Leys School, Cambridge - but Victoria had to wait until June to be presented with her Winner's Cup. She left the competition early, before the winner was announced, to go on a school trip and only heard she had won by phone.

The presentation was finally made on 23 June by CYM patron and internationally renowned cellist Julian Lloyd Webber - who was in Cambridge to run a workshop at the Leys School and agreed to formally present Victoria with her cup.

Cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, presents Victoria with her cup

Julian Lloyd Webber with some of the other competition winners

Competition winners line up for a photo call at the Finals in March

Over 100 young people aged 10 to 18 entered the preliminary rounds of the competition, with 21 class winners going forward to the Finals.

Age group winners at the Finals were: Victoria Nicoll – 10-12 age group; violinist William Aitchison – 13-15 age group; trumpeter James Davison –16-18 age group.

The Connie and John Suter Prize for a commended finalist in the 10-12 age group was singer Eden Carver. Two new prizes were awarded this year to mark the generosity of benefactor Mrs Audrey Williams of Gt Shelford. The Williams Prizes were awarded for commended finalists in the 13-15 and 16-18 age groups. They were given to 14-year-old Luke Cave (clarinet) and 18-year-old Olivia Fitzsimons (voice).

Victoria Nicoll, who lives in Gt Wilbraham, attends Kings College School, Cambridge. She studies cello with Alexander Boyarsky of the Royal College of Music. Judge Michael Young commented: "Victoria Nicoll is a very special talent who showed musical maturity beyond her years in playing the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto No.1 with such authority and panache. She has a wonderful tone and technical command, but more importantly a gift for communication with the audience. She should go far. The other class winners, William Aitchison (violin) and James Davison (trumpet) also gave performances of great technical command and musical insight."

The second Judge, Christine Hankin, said it had been "a wondeful competition to adjudicate with an impressive range of talent. All three classes were full of excellent performances, with the standard in the 10-12 age group being particularly high. The diversity of instruments and repertoire was very refreshing. James Davison's well-chosen and varied programme on the trumpet showed that you can make great music in any genre and the trombone playing of the young Luke Waldock should be an encouragement for anyone just starting out. The competition is a credit to the teaching in Cambridgeshire which is obviously of the highest calibre - there is an exciting future ahead!"

A full list of Class Winners and Highly Commendeds from the prelimnary rounds of the competition can be found here:

10-12 Classes
13-15 Classes
16-18 Classes

Classes were held for piano, strings, wind, brass, percussion and voice. The competition was open to those aged 10 to 18 years on 1 January 2010