Bath Young Musician of the year at the Pump Room

The annual Bath Young Musician of the year Contest will take place on Tuesday 4th November 2008 in the Pump Room at Bath, beginning at 7.30pm.

On a smaller scale but similar in concept to the BBC’s “Young Musician of the Year”, this event encourages musical excellence of the very highest order. The level of achievement of the young people taking part is often quite outstanding. In order to take part in the contest, young musicians have to do very well in their classes in the March Mid-Somerset Festival. Five are then invited to compete for the title in the following autumn. Competitors must be under 21 and live or be at school in Bath or live within a 15 mile radius of it. The contest is judged by a panel of three experienced adjudicators. The winner receives a handsome trophy, presented to us several years ago by a former mayor, and also a cheque.

This years five contestants are:

Rebecca Adams (tenor Horn)

Rebecca is 17 years old and in her final year at Hayesfield School. She started learning the tenor horn when she was 7, studying with Mrs Sue Avison. She chose this instrument as she liked the sound of it, and her brother was already playing the cornet. Last year she won a grant of £1000 to go towards her new Besson tenor horn.

Jordan Black (Clarinet)

Jordan is aged 15 and, although he was born in the UK, he spent the first eleven years of his life living in Africa! He was introduced to the clarinet at the age of seven by Francis Oludhe, Director of Music at Kenton College Preparatory School in Nairobi, Kenya. At the age of ten, he won the Young Musician of Kenya Competition (Junior Category).

Harry Hall (Violin)

Harry started the violin at 6 years, and is now 17. Harry played for some years in the National Children’s Orchestra, and then in the National Children’s Chamber Orchestra, leading the latter in 2007. His school, Prior Park College, has given Harry the chance to play in several orchestras and chamber ensembles, providing expert quartet coaching and numerous solo and ensemble performance opportunities.

Rosie Pinches (Harp)

Rosie is 17, and in her final year at Prior Park College, which she joined in the sixth form.
Rosie started playing the harp when she was 11, inspired by her Irish grandmother, who played Mary O’Hara music to her and wanted her to ‘be an angel’
She is also a keen singer, and has recently played the part of Marcellina in the Prior Park production of The Marriage of Figaro.

Amy Smith (Soprano)

Amy is a long-serving member of Bath Abbey Girls’ Choir who sang with those first three heroes at a gala concert to celebrate the new spa complex in Bath. Three years ago, Amy became a junior member of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. In 2007 she was awarded the Betty Richards prize for singing.
Amy has sung the role of Lucy in John McCabe’s children’s opera The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, at QEH Theatre, Bristol; the Queen of Night as a guest of the Royal High School in its production of The Magic Flute, and has performed at many concerts at home and abroad. In 2003 she sang live on BBC4 in a masterclass with Barbara Bonney.

Tickets for this event are available at The Bath Festivals Office for free

Venue

Pump Room, Central Bath

Dates

4 Nov 2008