Chetham’s School at The Commonwealth Resounds! in Trinidad and Tobago for CHOGM 2009
Nicholas Oliver
Nicholas Oliver was born in London. He studied at the Purcell School, the RAM and the RNCM with teachers Jean Anderson, Marjorie Clementi and Ka Kit Tam. He was a frequent prizewinner at both colleges and won the Young Pianist if the Year Award in 1984.
He was the second prize winner at the 1991 Dudley International Piano Competition since when he has been enjoying a successful and varied performing career.
He is particularly active in the field of chamber music and gives numerous recitals with singers and instrumentalists throughout the UK. He has played several times at London’s South Bank and at most of Britain’s major concert halls. He has undertaken recital tours in many European countries and also performed in the Americas, Australia, Asia and Africa. He has broadcast frequently on radio and released several recordings.
In addition to his performing career Nicholas is much in demand as an adjudicator, examiner and a tutor on music courses and festivals. He has taught piano at the Junior RNCM and is now Joint Head of Piano Accompaniment at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester.
Nicholas was made an associate of the RAM in 1997 and was elected to the Royal Society of Musicians in 2000.
Sarah Noon
Sarah Noon is sixth form co-ordinator within the academic music department at Chetham’s School of Music. She began her musical education studying the oboe with Val Taylor, and later with David Theodore in London, whilst reading for a degree in music at Christ Church, Oxford. On graduating, she moved to Dublin and joined the vocal group Anúna (an integral part of Riverdance – The Show in the mid nineties), with whom she made a number of critically acclaimed recordings, before embarking on postgraduate study and subsequently a career in music teaching. She specialises in music from the 12th to 15th centuries and combines teaching with freelance writing for early music journals.
Lloyd Coleman
Lloyd is 17 years old, and composes and conducts music alongside playing the clarinet.
His compositions have won him several awards for young composers in recent years – he was Highly Commended in the BBC Proms Young Composers’ Competition for three years between 2007-2009, and as a result of this has had his winning works performed by the Aurora Orchestra and broadcast on the BBC Radio 3 Breakfast Show. In 2007 he was also a winner in the Hampstead and Highgate Festival Young Composers’ competition and the EPTA UK Young Composers’ competition.
In 2008, he won a competition to write a Fanfare for the Music and Dance Scheme’s “Excellent!” showcase event at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London, and conducted the premiere of the work with brass players from the major conservatoires and music schools of the UK. In the past year he has also been commissioned to write music for various organisations, such as a Wind Quintet for the AMBER Trust, a Wind Band piece for the Beenham Band and an orchestral piece for Disability Arts Wales which will be performed by a major national orchestra in 2012. Lloyd is currently working on a short orchestral piece which will receive its premiere performance in Trinidad and Tobago.
Lloyd has held positions in the Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain playing the clarinet, giving him the opportunity to perform in major UK venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, the Barbican and the Royal Festival Hall (all in London), and others such as the Bridgewater Hall (in Manchester) and The Sage (in Gateshead).
Lloyd was a participant in the last Commonwealth Resounds! event in Uganda, and is very much looking forward to continuing his music-making with the group in Trinidad and Tobago! He is particularly looking forward to working in the local community again, reaching out to those who have never seen or heard Western classical musicians. At the same time, he wants to learn and experience the music of the Caribbean too.
Katie Corfield
Katie lives on a farm in a small town in mid-wales, she started the clarinet when she was 8 years old and currently studies with Jo Patton (second clarinet of CBSO). She is interested in music therapy and hopes to get some opportunities to help with workshops in schools when she's in Trinidad and Tobago.
Fiona Robertson
Fiona lives in Glasgow, Scotland, and has been a Pupil at ‘Chetham’s School of Music’ since 2006. She studies violin with Jan Repko and piano with Marta Karbownicka. She has been a member of various ensembles of the ‘National Youth Orchestras of Scotland’ touring in China, Holland and Germany, and in 2007 was the leader of the ‘National Children’s Orchestra of Scotland.’ Recently she won the prize for the most outstanding performer at the ‘Glasgow Music Festival.’ Fiona enjoys chamber music and plays the oboe in her spare time. Fiona is really looking forward to Trinidad, playing in the orchestra, meeting other musicians from commonwealth countries and seeing a different part of the world.
Harriet Eaves
Harriet Grace Eaves is 18 and lives in Manchester.
She began learning the flute aged 8 and began singing aged 9 when she joined the Rochdale Borough Junior Choir under the direction of Jill Hamnett. Since then she has sung with various choirs, winning a number of awards at local music festivals as both a solo singer and flautist.
She has been a member of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain (NYCGB) since the age of 13 and has gained grade 8 and the LCM Diploma in Musical Theatre. She currently studies singing at Chetham’s school of Music with Helen Francis. Harriet is very much looking forward to the Commonwealth Resounds trip and hopes to gain experience of performing with international performers with similar interests to herself.
Carys Evans
I grew up in Bolton near Manchester and began playing the trumpet at the age of eight. The following year, I decided that I preferred the Horn after watching the Halle play. I have now been playing the French Horn for seven years at Chetham’s School of Music in central Manchester, which is one of five specialist music schools in the UK. Since I have been at Chetham’s School of Music I have been taught the French horn by Lizzie Davies and Richard Watkins and have attended master classes with players across the country such as Nigel Black and Hugh Seenan. For the last two years I have been a horn player with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and have had the opportunity to play repertoire including Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring Richard Strauss’ Alpine Symphony. I hope to pursue music in the future either through playing in an orchestra or through educational work. I am really looking forward to Trinidad and playing in the orchestra, meeting musicians from other commonwealth countries and hearing lots of what will be for me brand new music and instruments.
Georgia Hannant
Georgia has been playing the violin since she was seven years old, and began attending Chetham's School of Music at the beginning of Sixth Form. She has always had a great interest in music from an early age and plays many other instruments, such as the Celtic Harp, the Bodhrán, the piano and voice.
She has been a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain since the end of last year, and has performed in concerts with the Chetham's Symphony Orchestra and the Chetham's Chamber Choir.
Georgia says, “I hope to be able to session with these other musicians and find out more about their music as well as to help them to understand mine. I look forward to the experience of sharing music with less fortunate young people as well.”
Chetham’s School
With 290 students, aged 8 - 18, Chetham's is the largest specialist Music School in the UK and the only Music School based in the North of England.
In the heart of Manchester, our vibrant cosmopolitan city centre location complements a dynamic music programme - we regularly collaborate with the city's leading cultural venues on a range of projects and initiatives, to present exciting opportunities for our students.
Chetham's is an integral part of the North West's rich cultural heritage, housed in buildings that are nearly 600 years old and boasting a truly unique and magical atmosphere. Our medieval buildings are one of Manchester's real gems - playing music in the Baronial Hall is undoubtedly an experience in itself!
A Chets student's diary is always busy and packed with opportunities inside and outside the practice room. Recently, our students have broadcast for BBC Radio 3, performed at BBC Proms in the Park, composed music in response to artworks from the British Art Show and performed as part of an exhibition at Manchester Museum. Our jazz musicians regularly perform at leading venues and our two Big Bands are regularly winners of national prizes.
We're also proud to share a city location with the Royal Northern College of Music, The Bridgewater Hall and the Hallé and BBC Philharmonic orchestras - Chets students regularly benefit from our strong links with the organisations through events and festivals. Many of Chetham's tutors also teach at the RNCM and are principal players with the city's orchestras.