A CELLIST from Harpenden who will be studying at a prestigious American music school has won a competition to help fund her move abroad. Sophie Gledhill, aged 21, entered the British Airways Great Britons competition earlier this year and had to collect a

A CELLIST from Harpenden who will be studying at a prestigious American music school has won a competition to help fund her move abroad.

Sophie Gledhill, aged 21, entered the British Airways Great Britons competition earlier this year and had to collect as many online votes as possible for a chance to win two BA flights to New York, where she will be attending Eastman School of Music.

Sophie, who has been playing the cello for over 16 years, said that she had to enter the competition to afford the school: "My cello and I have loved performing as far and wide as China and the US, but we desperately needed help to continue our journey. Tuition fees are unbelievably expensive - especially with the exchange rate as it is - not to mention travel, as I have to buy a plane seat for Mr Cello Gledhill too!"

After getting through preliminary rounds of the competition, Sophie and seven other applicants, who were from fields such as art, fashion and sport, posted their stories online and it was up to the public to decide who most deserved the plane tickets.

The two winners of the competition, Sophie and a 22-year-old athlete, were revealed online earlier this month and as well as two return BA plane flights to New York, Sophie also received a video camcorder and other goodies in her winners pack.