Charlotte Miles Wins 2026 ABC Young Performers Awards in Sydney
Cellist Charlotte Miles won the 2026 ABC Young Performers Awards after performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera…
SYDNEY — Charlotte Miles wins 2026 ABC Young Performers Awards after performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House on November 3. The 24-year-old cellist receives a $40,000 cash prize and the opportunity to record a solo studio album under the ABC Classic label.
Benjamin Northey conducted the orchestra for the grand final, which brought Miles back to Australia from Germany, where she studies in the Kronberg Academy’s professional program. Violinist Beatrice Colombis finished as runner-up, and pianist Dillon Chan placed third.
How did Charlotte Miles win the 2026 award?
Miles advanced through two competitive rounds after the competition opened in February. Her performance in the final capped a career that already includes more than 100 music prizes, according to the award announcement.
There was a stillness to the moment she described after playing. “I felt really calm out there. I dared to share what I wanted to share with the audience and gave it everything,” Miles told ABC Classic’s Genevieve Lang.
The other finalists also performed concertos with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Colombis played Prokofiev’s Second Violin Concerto, while Chan performed Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Chan, at 14, was the youngest finalist.
What do the finalists receive?
The award’s prizes are intended to support the finalists’ musical careers. Miles receives $40,000 and the chance to make a solo studio album for ABC Classic. Colombis receives $15,000 as runner-up, while third-place finalist Chan receives $5,000.
For Miles, the recording opportunity gives the award a lasting professional dimension beyond the cash prize. The competition also brought her before a live audience at the Sydney Opera House and paired her performance with a major orchestra, conducted by Northey.
Miles is originally from Victoria and has built an international performing profile while studying in Germany. She regularly guests with the Berlin Philharmonic and was selected earlier this year to tour with French cellist Gautier Capuçon.
The grand final concert was broadcast live on ABC Classic and hosted by Lang, herself a former competitor. Adjudicators Aura Go, Sophie Rowell, Adam Szabo and Eliza Shephard made the decision, with harpist and arts leader Marshall McGuire as chair.
The concert was filmed for ABC TV and ABC iview, with Jeremy Fernandez and Megan Burslem as hosts. It is scheduled to air on Thursday 5 November at 8:50pm, and the full concert is available to listen to on ABC Classic.
“I dared to share what I wanted to share with the audience and gave it everything,” Miles said.
