The winner of the 2026 Young Talent Award is Riley Baker.

Riley was raised in a musical household with his mother in jazz radio and father a musician. He picked up the drums when he was 6 years old and by 12 was playing professionally with his father’s jazz band. While he was in middle school, he picked up the tuba and by high school was already a proficient classical soloist.

Riley then moved to Los Angeles, California to study jazz trombone performance at California State University, Northridge, where he was commissioned to do transcriptions for Nick Rossi’s Jazzopaters band as well as music directing for other bands in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas.

He has preformed with a wide variety of acts such as Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, Jonathan Stout and his Orchestra, The Chicago Cellar Boys, The Four Freshmen, The Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, Heidi Evelyn and her Jazz Sophisticates Orchestra and many more.

He freelances on bass, tuba, drums and trombone. This year he has also started running a 6-piece traditional jazz combo and a 10-12 piece dance orchestra.

Riley receives free entry to the Classic Jazz Party, travel and accommodation, access to rehearsals, and a £1,000 cash bursary to further his work. Congratulations!