SRF, the German language broadcaster in Switzerland has ruled out returning to Eurovision Young Musicians next year in Edinburgh.
SRF has confirmed to Eurovoix.com that they will not be participating in Eurovision Young Musicians 2018 in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. SRF alongside the Italian language broadcaster RSI, co-hosted the 2004 edition of Eurovision Young Musicians in Lucerne. A total of twenty countries took part in the competition, Albania had been due to make its debut in 2004 but withdrew from the contest before it was held.
Switzerland participated a total of ten times in Eurovision Young Musicians making their debut appearance at the first contest in 1982. Switzerland participated in every edition between 1982 and 1990. They again participated in 1994 and 1996, before returning to the contest again between 2002 and 2006. During their final three appearances in the contest, Italian language broadcaster RSI organised Swiss participation, holding national selections in Lugano.
Countries wishing to take part in Eurovision Young Musicians 2018 have until December 31 to confirm their participation to the European Broadcasting Union. The following nations have confirmed their participation:
- Norway
- Poland
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
To date LTV of Latvia and BHRT of Bosnia & Herzegovina have ruled out returning to the contest. Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE has also stated they will not be participating, while fellow EBU member TG4 has yet to respond for comment.
Eurovision Young Musicians 2018 will be held in Edinburgh at the Usher Hall. This is the first time since 2008 that Scotland has hosted a Eurovision event, the last being the final of the Eurovision Dance Contest. The 2018 contest will see the return of the semi-finals which will be held on August 18 and 19, with the final taking place on August 23.
Source: SRF
What is Eurovision Young Musicians?
Eurovision Young Musicians has been held bi-annually since 1982. The contest was based on the format of The BBC Young Musician of the Year in the United Kingdom. Performers in the contest must be aged under 18 years and are selected by their participating broadcaster. Each performer performs a piece of classical music of their choice accompanied by the local orchestra. The winner is decided by a jury made up of classical music experts and talents.
