BBC Radio 3's New Generation Artists scheme has proved a vital career boost for some of today's finest young classical artists. Benjamin Grosvenor, the Belcea Quartet and Alison Balsom have all benefited from the scheme which exposes the young musicians to broadcasts on Radio 3 and other live performance opportunities. This year's six New Generation Artists are: the Armida Quartet, baritone Benjamin Appl, horn-player Alec Frank-Gemmill, cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan, pianist Pavel Kolesnikov and violinist Esther Yoo. The scheme runs from 2014-16 and the six new artists will join, and be able to collaborate with, the six artists currently on the list who joined in 2013 and will continue to be part of the scheme until 2015.  

As Principal Horn of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Alec Frank-Gemmill has already received a positive review in Gramophone for his performance of Weber's Horn Concertino with the SCO and conductor Alexander Janiczek for Linn Records last year. 'I especially enjoyed Alec Frank-Gemmill’s cheeky handling of the runs and decorations in the Horn Concertino,' wrote Mike Ashman.

A recording on the Honens label by Pavel Kolesnikov was welcomed (with a few reservations) by Jed Distler in the February issue, he concluded that Kolesnikov's playing was 'full of promise'. Which would be an appropriate way of describing these six new members of New Generation Artists scheme.