Arts, Bournemouth, Events & Entertainment | Posted on October 14th, 2026 | return to news

Bournemouth winner in BSO’s Music-Making Competition

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s national competition saw Brandon Roku Ali win the 25-39 category, performing his own piano composition, Walking on Water.

The orchestra’s 2026 competition saw over 100 entries from around the UK by amateurs and aspiring musicians. There were three winners across different age groups, with a Bournemouth native winning part of the £3,000 prize pot.

Roku Ali’s performance of Walking on Water was described by judges as “compelling” and “seamless”. Brandon explained: “The work unites two experiences: the intimate, bodily sensation of floating and finding relief in water; and – inspired by the biblical story of Moses and the parting of the Red Sea – the collective, almost mythological experience of crossing through water towards freedom.”

During his time as a postgraduate student at Cardiff University, pianist Brandon Roku Ali – winner of the 25-39 category – would spend the twilight hours practising piano in a hospital chapel, where he found peace and solace. The experience repeatedly helped him connect to a vision of being under water, and it was through this Walking on Water was composed.

Brandon’s love of music was nurtured as a pupil at Poole High School, during this time he was able to hear performances by the BSO. His earliest influences in Equatorial Guinea included music by Western artists, Bollywood and rap performers – he later found a deep and lasting love of the music of Beethoven and Mozart. Roku Ali plans to use his winnings to host a concert in 2027 inspired by Beethoven.