On the evening of Saturday 18th March, four SFC2 (Year 13) students took part in the Keith Nutland Young Musician Award competition, which is open to post-Grade 8 musicians across Gloucestershire who are in Year 13 or their gap year: Stephanie (violin), Obasemilore (oboe), Wendy (clarinet) and Vanessa (violin).
There were four other competitors from different schools in the county. Each of the eight musicians performed a 15 minute programme in front of a panel of adjudicators and a live audience at Bethesda Chapel in Leckhampton. The standard was extremely high and the adjudicators had a very tough decision.
Our four students played wonderfully and each of them can be hugely proud of their achievements. We were delighted that the overall winner was Wendy (clarinet).
Wendy said: “I had the great opportunity to play the 3rd movement of Horovitz’s Sonatina and the Première Rhapsodie by Debussy. It was my first ever formal solo performance with a public audience, so I was extremely nervous about it. There were eight of us in total, and I was so amazed by everyone’s incredible performance. Winning the competition with such a high standard from the other performances was entirely out of my expectation as I just aimed to gain more experience and enjoy the music. I am incredibly grateful for everyone’s help and support on my way to winning the prize, especially to my clarinet teacher Ms Leiher, and to Mr Jones for the piano accompaniment!”
Wendy has received an invitation to perform in the Cheltenham International Music Festival in July, as well as a financial prize donated by the Brimpsfield Music Society. All finalists are also invited to appear in a fundraising concert in January 2024.
Special thanks go to Louis Stockton, who shared the piano accompaniment duties with me, as well as to the students’ instrumental teachers who helped them in their intensive preparations for the competition.
Mr Jones, Head of Keyboard
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