ALTHOUGH Jess Gillam didn't win the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2016, she was a mere hair grip away and provided viewers with one of the most accomplished individual performances in the illustrious competition's 38-year history.

Without doubt all three finalists were all extremely gifted instrumentalists each performing a full concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Ben Goldscheider started the evening with Strauss's Horn Concerto no 2, and eventual winner, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, performed the Shostakovich Cello Concerto No 1 last.

But in between saxophonist Jess Gillam really wowed the Barbican audience with both her rendition of Michael Nyman's Where the Bee Dances - and her David Bowie tribute outfit.

Ulverston born and bred, Jess said it was one of the best experiences she'd ever had: "I feel grateful for the opportunity and I'm still feeling quite elated after the performance," added the 17-year-old rising star. "I'm very excited about all of the opportunities that have arisen as a result of the competition.

"The main highlight of the competition for me was definitely the performance with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Performing on the Barbican stage with such a renowned orchestra was an incredible experience and I will never forget it. I also absolutely loved performing in the woodwind final with Steve Lodder (keyboards) and Andee Price (bass). I felt completely at home on stage and couldn’t have enjoyed it more."

Jess is a great ambassador for the saxophone, and first picked up the instrument at the age of seven at the Barracudas Carnival Arts Centre at Barrow: "As well as saxophone, there were drum, dance and stilts workshops and after trying a few of the others, I thought I would try the saxophone. I picked it up, made a sound and fell in love. I haven’t looked back since and will be eternally grateful to the Barracudas Carnival Arts Centre for giving me the opportunity to try the saxophone."

Jess has many musical influences and inspirations from across varied genres, including John Harle, Rob Buckland, Barbara Thompson, Snake Davis and Pee Wee Ellis’ sax solos on Van Morrison albums.: "I think music is about conveying emotion and trying to make an audience feel something as they listen and watch and all of these truly do that."

Among Jess's future projects is an album: "I am hugely excited about this. It's been an ambition of mine for a very long time."

So too could be a performance with supreme trumpeter, Alison Balsom.

Such was Alison's enthusiasm for Jess, the BBC Young Musician of the Year co-presenter told viewers during the finals' programme that she'd love to play alongside Jess - so watch this space!

First though, Jess is booked to share the stage with another terrific Ulverstonian talent, pianist Anthony Hewitt as he returns home for his Ulverston International Music Festival, which opens today (Wednesday, June 8, 7.30pm) with English Touring Opera's Don Giovanni at the Coronation Hall.

And this year's UIMF has arguable it's best ever line-up.

Friday, June 10, features a fantastic double bill of jazz at the Coronation Hall, opening at 6pm with Ulverston Victoria High School Swing Band, currently regarded as one of the top UK school jazz ensembles. Directed by Richard Butler,

the talented students aged between 14 and 18, are holders of the national Specialist Schools and Academies Trust Award as top state school band, and make their festival debut with a varied repertoire of swing and jazz.

Later at 7.30pm, the mesmerising voice and magnetic stage presence of self-taught singer and songwriter, pianist and guitarist, Julia Biel, grace the festival performing with bass player, Idris Rahman, and drummer, Saleem Abdulraman.

Saturday, June 11 sees the award-winning Reckless Barbershop Quartet perform in the morning at the Coro (11.30am) with the Choral Concert: Rio Grande taking place at Ulverston Parish Church later at 7.30pm.

The Navarra String Quartet plays two shows at the historic Swarthmoor Hall on the Sunday (June 12, 11.30am and 3.30pm) with Jess and Anthony in the Coro spotlight later at 7.30pm.

Well-known face of television Alistair McGowan - a keen pianist - brings his brand new production based on the life of eccentric French composer Erik Satie to the festival on Tuesday, June 14 (8pm), in the 150th anniversary year of the composer's birth, and the festival's Rising Star Piano Recital is on Wednesday, June 15 (1pm) at the parish church, performed by Moscow-born virtuoso Alexander Panfilov, the recent winner of the prestigious 2015 Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition.

The same night at the Coro (7.30pm) festival founder Anthony performs with a former BBC Young Musician of the Year, Jennifer Pike, a dazzling violinist, whose ascended to great heights to become a leading light of the UK's classical music world.

Versatile five-piece wind quintet, the Galliard Ensemble, grace the festival on Thursday, June 16, at the parish church (1pm), and the festival's Family Concert (6pm) the same day at the Coro features a culinary twist with Bake a Musical Cake.

Talented young soprano Raphaela Papadakis has put together a beautiful and diverse range of songs inspired by familiar Shakespearean characters for Shakespeare in Song at the parish church on Friday, June 17 (1pm), and at the Coro at 7.30pm, Anthony Hewitt's back on stage to join one of the leading chamber orchestras in the country, the Royal Northern Sinfonia, a wonderfully versatile ensemble, much admired for its amazing zest and virtuosity.

On Saturday, June 18 (7.30pm) the Coro hosts ENTango - dancers Miriam Orcutt and Dante Culcuy, bandoneonist, Eduardo Garcia, violinist, Daniel Rowland and once again, pianist, Anthony.

Formed at the festival in 2012, ENTango offers a new take on the relationship between musicians and dancers, with the intimacy and powerful energy of chamber music fusing with the passion and sensuality of tango. The spiritual core of ENTango is Argentinian Eduardo who writes his own arrangements of Piazzolla and other Tango composers.

Finally, Sunday, June 19, and the last day of the festival is dedicated to showcasing the talents of amateur and semi-professional musicians with all donations and proceeds going to St Mary's Hospice.

Charity Concerts Day includes a piano master class with Anthony Hewitt, and a performance by the acclaimed Lancaster-based Haffner Orchestra, paying further homage to the nation's favourite bard in a programme of popular works accompanied by extracts from the relevant plays, read by local schoolchildren. Justin Doyle conducts the Haffner, joined by sax player Jess to commemorate Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary, with an orchestral programme inspired by the

playwright’s dramatic output.

Altogether, just awesome...

Festival box office 01229-587140.