Tracy James Principal Flute
Tracy James is a session and orchestral musician
based in London. As a flautist, saxophonist and clarinettist, she regularly
plays in musical theatre, opera and concerts in and around the London area and
undertakes session work on recordings for various solo artists. Originally from
South Wales, Tracy graduated from the University of Bristol with a BA (hons)
and holds an ATCL Recital Diploma. She has studied with Douglas Townshend, Anna
Noakes and Simon Channing. Tracy has performed at many prestigious venues
throughout Britain including Bridgewater Hall, Royal Festival Hall and
Sheldonian Theatre. She regularly plays with Oxford Chamber Orchestra,
Situation Opera Orchestra, Dan Beach Function Band and London Irish Symphony
Orchestra. Numerous production tours have taken Tracy all over the world,
including the USA, Europe and most recently China with The Amadeus Orchestra.
She has performed in many music festivals including Vienne Jazz Festival and
Edinburgh Festival. Her most recent shows have been The Sound of Music, Cabaret
and Guys & Dolls. www.tracyjames.co.uk
Leo Duarte Principal Oboe
Leo began studying the modern oboe at the age of
fifteen with Josephine Lively and subsequently, with Christopher O'Neal
(ex-principal with the London Mozart Players). He went on to study with
Celia Nicklin (ex-principal with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields),
Tess Miller and Emanuel Abbühl (principal with the London Symphony
Orchestra) whilst continuing his education at the Royal Academy of Music.
He has also studied Cor Anglais with Andrew Knights (ex-principal oboe with
the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra) and Jill Crowther (Principal Cor
Anglais with the Philharmonia). During his studies he has taken part
in numerous masterclasses with Jonathan Kelly (principal with the Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra), François Leleux (principal with the Chamber
Orchestra of Europe), Nicholas Daniel (International soloist), Marcel Ponseele
(principal oboist with the Orchestre des Champs-Elysées), and Paul
Dombrecht (International soloist). Currently, Leo is studying Baroque Oboe
alongside other early oboes with James Eastaway (Orchestre Révolutionnaire et
Romantique) and Katharina Sprecklesen (The English Concert & Amsterdam
Baroque Orchestra) whilst furthering his studies at the Historical Performance
Department of the Royal Academy of Music, London. As a historical oboist Leo
has played for, among others, Paul McCreesh with The Gabrieli Consort
& Players, Rachel Podger, Lawrence Cummings and Sir John Eliot
Gardiner. This is the field in which Leo is most active and he has a particular
passion for performing the music of the late Romantic period on the appropriate
instruments and with the required style. As a concerto soloist he has performed
works by Mozart, Vaughan Williams and Albinoni in concert tours around Russia,
Italy and the UK. He has also toured extensively with various orchestras to
Japan, France, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. He has played Principal
Oboe and Cor Anglais with, amongst others, the London Schools Symphony
Orchestra, the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, and the Jeune
Orchestre Atlantique through which he has worked with many noteworthy musicians
including James Levine, Leif Segerstam, Tamás Vásáry, Sir Mark Elder and Sir
Colin Davis. Leo was also recently awarded second prize in the prestigious
Leila Bull Oboe Competition for the second year running and was also awarded
the Janet Craxton Memorial Prize for orchestral oboe playing.
Penny Smith
Penny Smith took up the oboe at the age of fourteen
while at school in Mid Wales. In 2002 she was accepted in the Birmingham
Conservatoire Junior School where she studied the oboe under Jenni Phillips and
took part in a variety of ensembles, such as the BCJS Chamber Orchestra, which
performed at the Aldeburgh Festival. In 2005, Penny was awarded a scholarship
to Trinity College of Music, where she studied the oboe under Josephine Lively
and Christopher O'Neal. During her time at Trinity she has taken part in many
orchestral projects, which include a recording of works by Alan Hovhanness for
Naxos with the TCM Wind Ensemble. She has also recorded Haydn's Nocturnes and Scherzandi for the British Haydn Society. She was a finalist in the
Harold Clarke woodwind competition in 2006 and 2009. In November 2007 Penny
successfully auditioned for the National Youth Orchestra of Wales. As part of
this course she was able to participate in collaboration with the BBC National
Orchestra of Wales. She was invited to perform with the Young Janácek
Philharmonic Orchestra performing Kaija Saariaho's opera, L'amour de Loin in December 2008. Recently she has been accepted
onto the Interregional Youth Symphony Orchestra Summer 2009 course in
Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Penny has performed Haydn's Concerto for Oboe with
the Orchestra of Situation Opera as part of their concerto series
Karen Gibbard
In 2008 Karen Gibbard graduated with distinction from the MMus Oboe Performance - Orchestral Training course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, generously supported by the HR Taylor Charitable Trust and the Mercers' Company. Karen has since then received assistance from the HR Taylor Charitable Trust to continue private coaching with Richard Simpson, Christian Schneider and Gail Hennessy, whilst also undertaking period instrument coaching through the Jeune Orchestre Atlantique programme at the Abbaye aux Dames in France. This has included tuition with eminent historical oboists such as Katharina Spreckelsen, Michael Niesemann, Richard Earle, Marcel Ponseele and Taka Kitazato. Karen has a place on The Ann and Peter Law OAE Experience 2010 scheme, which provides her with the opportunity to participate in Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment concert projects and work alongside the orchestra with world-class conductors and soloists. She has also received scholarships to attend various residential summer schools such as the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute in Toronto, Dartington International Summer School, and the European Academy for Music and Arts organised by the Hochschule in Cologne. Karen loves to perform in a variety of solo, chamber and orchestral settings. These have included solo oboe performances as part of the International Double Reed Society conference, Leeds International Concert Season and Dartington International Summer School, as well as various baroque oboe concertos with directors such as Peter Holman and Pavlo Beznosiuk. Later this year Karen will also be performing the Gordon Jacob Oboe Concerto no.2 with Kingston Chamber Orchestra. Karen is a keen chamber musician and through the Kariosa Ensemble for woodwind and piano she has taken part in various recitals, as well as 'Chamber Tots' concerts and workshops at the Wigmore Hall. She is also baroque oboist in the Prince and Pauper Consort, which has participated in the BREMF Early Music Live! Scheme and has performed at events such as the Brighton Early Music Festival White Night, the National Portrait Gallery and for private functions at the London Guildhall. Karen's orchestral engagements have included performances with the Gabrieli Players, Jeune Orchestre Atlantique, Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, The Brook Street Band, Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Baroque Armonico Consort, Sinfonia Cymru, Royal Academy of Music Baroque Orchestra, Rehearsal Orchestra, Solomon Orchestra, Consort of Twelve, All Souls Orchestra, Essex Baroque Orchestra, Linden Baroque and the Orchestra of the Teatro Olimpico of Vicenza in Italy. This has entailed work under prominent conductors such as Sir Charles Mackerras, Paul McCreesh, Christopher Seaman, Sir Mark Elder, Andreas Spering, Jérémie Rhorer, Hervé Niquet, David Stern, Peter Holman, Adrian Butterfield, and Steven Devine in various venues including the Barbican Hall, New York Carnegie Hall, Opera of Rouen, St. John's Smith Square, and St. George Hanover Square. Karen also enjoys taking music into community and education settings, having worked in hospitals and schools through organisations such as the LSO Discovery Scheme, Richmond Music Trust, City of London Festival, Brighton Early Music Festival and the OAE. www.karengibbard.co.uk
Christopher Goodman Principal Clarinet
Chris
Goodman was born in Oxford and grew up in North Wales, beginning his studies at
the age of 9 with his first teacher Richard Edwards. Within 12 months of
playing he was competing at a National level in the Eisteddfod competition
coming 2nd in the televised final. At age 12 he entered the Royal
Northern Junior College junior department for 18 months where he studied with
Anne Mc Naught. He has had lessons and taken part in masterclasses with many
eminent clarinettists including Gervase de Peyer, Leslie Craven, Nicholas Cox,
Krystoph Klima, the late Angela Fussell and Pascal Moragues. Before
moving to London, Chris played with a number of youth ensembles in Wales
including the National Youth Wind orchestra of Wales , the National Youth
Orchestra of Wales under Sir Owain Arwel Hughes and the North Wales Youth
Orchestra under Gareth Jones. In 2006 he was awarded a scholarship to study at
the Royal College of Music where he is currently in his final year. He studies
clarinet with Tim Lines, Barnaby Robson and Bass Clarinet with Paul Richards.
In his third year he was awarded the Steven Trier Award for Bass Clarinet. As a
soloist and chamber musician Chris has performed a large variety of music
including premieres of new works in the Norfolk music room in the V&A
museum, the National portrait gallery and the Inner Parry Room at the RCM.
Chris has played Principal Clarinet regularly in the RCM Sinfonietta and Bass
Clarinet in Symphony and Opera orchestras. He also plays regularly with
orchestras around London, notably Situation Opera Orchestra, Royal orchestral
society, London Rehearsal Orchestra, Orpheus Sinfonia, and YMSO. He was invited
to perform Mozart's Clarinet Concerto on Bassett Clarinet as part of Situation
Orchestra's Autumn and Spring Concerto series 2009 and Spohrs 2nd Concerto with
London Chamber Academy autumn season in 2009. As well as performing
regularly within RCM, he has performed with ensembles in the Royal Albert hall,
Cadogan Hall, St David's hall Cardiff, Bristol and Hereford Cathedrals (Three
Choirs Festival) St John's Smith Square, and Hollywell Music Rooms in Oxford.
Yla Garvie Co-Principal Clarinet
Yla began playing the clarinet aged 10
and quickly progressed through the Aberdeen City Music Centre Ensembles,
principal clarinet in the City Youth Orchestra for many years. She joined the
Royal Scottish Academy of Music Junior Academy in 2001 and studied under Alison
Waller before beginning her undergraduate degree at the RSAMD. Whilst there she
participated in side-by-side schemes with the RSNO and Hebridies Ensemble and
was awarded the BBC SSO Apprenticeship Scheme 2008/09. During this time she
studied with Yann Ghiro (Principal BBC SSO) for both clarinet and bass
clarinet. Yla has toured extensively throughout Europe with Edinburgh Youth
Orchestra (both as a clarinet and viola player), National Youth Orchestra of
Scotland, as principal clarinet, Camerata Scotland and most recently with The
Amadeus Orchestra. Within the RSAMD, Yla has undertaken many different roles
with in the Symphony and Opera Orchestras under the batons of Martyn Brabbins,
Garry Walker and Christopher Adey and has participated in masterclasses given
by Tim Lines, Barnaby Robson and Maxamiliano Martin. In September Yla will
begin her Postgraduate studies at the RSAMD.
Iona Garvie Principal Bassoon
Scottish bassoonist Iona Garvie was born
in 1984. She started the bassoon aged 11 and gradually progressed through the
Aberdeen City Schools Music Centre and the Junior Department of Royal Scottish
Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, where she won the Gilbert Innes Prize
for Woodwind. She played with the National Children`s Orchestra of
Scotland, and later became principal bassoon of the National Youth Orchestra of
Scotland in 2000. In 2002 she moved to London for a BMus (Hons) degree at the
Royal College of Music studying with Martin Gatt and Sarah Burnett.
Graduating in 2006, Iona then moved to Guildhall School of Music and Drama to
gain a Postgraduate Diploma in Orchestral Performance and a Masters degree
studying with Meyrick Alexander and Graham Sheen supported by the MBF Education
Fund and The Charitable Trusthouse Foundation. In 2008 she completed her formal
music education and embarked on a freelance musical career. Iona is a
keen Chamber Musician who has played with Camerata Scotland, Britten Pears
Orchestra and the London Contemporary Orchestra. She is a member of the Barber
Wind Quintet and Kariosa Ensemble. Currently she is principal bassoon with the
Orchestra of Situation Opera and the London Irish Symphony Orchestra, with whom
she also plays as Principal Contrabassoon.
Danielle Hartley
Inspired by Stravinsky's The Rite of
Spring, Danielle Hartley began studying the bassoon aged 11. In 1999, she
gained a place at Trinity College of Music (TCM) Junior Department, studying
Bassoon and Piano under Susan Eversden and Justin Bissell; she was awarded the
prestigious Junior Departments woodwind prize in 2005. In 2005 Danielle was
awarded a scholarship to study at Trinity College of Music under the tutelage
of Stephen Maw, Brian Wightman, Gordon Laing and Martin Field; she also studied
the piano with Raymond Banning. During her third year at TCM Danielle was
awarded a scholarship to study with the renowned bassoonist Carlo Colombo at
the Conservatoire de Lausanne HEM, Switzerland as part of the Erasmus exchange
scheme. On her return to Trinity Danielle was awarded 1st place in the
TCM Vernon Elliot Bassoon Competition. Danielle regularly performs as a
freelance orchestral bassoonist and contrabassoonist currently holding
principle chairs with the Docklands Sinfonia, London Neophonic Orchestra and
the European Youth Music Week Symphony Orchestra. Other recent
performances have been with Situation Opera, Jersey Symphony Orchestra and
Westminster Philharmonic. Danielle has also taken part in a number of
Masterclasses with artists such as Meyrick Alexander, Roger Birnstingl, Carlo
Colombo and Omar Zoboli as well as recently being chosen to perform in a
masterclass with Carlo Colombo as part of the International Double Reed Society
conference held at the Birmingham Conservatoire. From September 2009 Danielle
will be continuing her studies at the Royal Academy of Music for a Masters
degree in performance on both bassoon and contrabassoon.
Katie Walton
Born in Salford, Katie
was accepted to study for her A Levels at Chetham's School of Music where she
studied with Graham Salvage and Steve Magee (contra) and was then accepted as a
Foundation Scholar to the Royal College of Music, London, where she learnt with
Martin Gatt, Sarah Burnett, Julie Price and Nicholas Hunka. Whilst at the RCM
she worked under Bernard Haitink, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Roger Norrington. She
also played with a number of different chamber groups including the Jasmine
Duo, who were chosen to take part in the Tunell Trust's 'Strathgarry Showcase'
and Trio Blaricum, who played in numerous different venues including the
National Gallery, the Lincolnshire Chamber Music Festival and at private
functions in Holland. During the time she was an undergraduate at the RCM,
Katie went to Prague on a 4 month ERASMUS exchange to study in the
conservatoire in Prague (HAMU) with Frantisek Herman and Jiri Sidle of the
Czech Philharmonic. Upon completing her BMus, Katie was given another
scholarship by the RCM to begin her postgraduate studies as a Leverhulme
Orchestral Mentor. She was kindly awarded funding by the Countess of Munster Musical
Trust and the Craxton Memorial Fund too. As part of the Orchestral Pathway
course, Katie attended 'sit-ins' with the BBCSO and LSO, and continued with her
chamber and solo performances, and also attended a week long masterclass with
Dag Jensen. Katie then studied for a year at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in
The Hague, Netherlands. Here her primary teacher was Johan Steinmann of the
Netherland's Radio Orchestra, but also received lessons from Dorian Cooke
(Resedentie Orkest) and Remko Edelaar (Holland Sinfonia). She performed
regularly in chamber music recitals, and in various different conservatoire and
student orchestras including the Dutch Academy Opera Orchestra in Dr Anton
Phillipszaal in a performance of Cosi Fan Tutte and with the Dutch Conservatoires
Orchestra on a tour in Kavala, Greece in summer 2009. She has recently
performed with the Orpheus Sinfonia in Cadogan Hall, for the Nick Branston
Memorial Fountation conducted by John Wilson and with the Halle Orchestra in
Manchester, and has been accepted as a member of the Southbank Sinfonia for the
year 2010.
Emma Selby
Emma
Selby studied the bassoon with Meyrick Alexander and Daniel Jemison and
contrabassoon with Gordon Laing at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and
was awarded a first class Bachelor of Music degree in July 2009. During her
degree she did an ERASMUS exchange to the Geneva Conservatoire where she
studied with Afonso Venturieri. During her conservatoire study she has taken
part in masterclasses with many leading bassoonists including Graham Sheen,
Robin O'Neill, Roger Birnstingl, Graham Hobbs and Alastair Mitchell. She played
principal bassoon in a performance of Richard Strauss's Ein Heldenleben with
the Guildhall Symphony orchestra in the barbican hall conducted by Vasily
Petrenko, and principal bassoon with the Guildhall Chamber Orchestra in the
Mozart Requiem. She also recorded twice for BBC radio 3 in the barbican new
music festivals, most recently the Tristan Murail festival with Dufourt's
Hommage a Charles Negre under the baton of Pierre- Andre Valade, and in Hour of
the Soul for the Gubaidulina festival. Emma recently played in the
Concertgebouw conducted by Oliver Knussen as part of the National Jeugd Orkest
of the Netherland's Summer academy.