Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
Nick Baron (percussion) hails from Somerset, and is a versatile percussionist in his third year of RWCMD. The highlights of his career so far have been playing in Les Miserables to sold-out audiences in the Wales Millennium Centre, and a ten-night tour of Wales with the hit show Cothi and Cream.
Jen Bostic (saxophone) was born in Bedford in 1985, but grew up in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire where she began clarinet and piano lessons in 1994. In 2002, Jen was awarded the Outstanding Musician award in the local Eisteddfod. As tenor pan player, Jen has also toured Barbados and performed in the Cropover Festival with the highly acclaimed steel orchestra, Panache, in the summer of 2002. Jen now studies clarinet with John Reynolds at RWCMD and saxophone with Gerard McChrystal.
Susana Jimenez (piano) was born in Tuxtla Gtz. Chiapas, Mexico where she began her piano studies in 1990, moving in 1994 to Veracruz to continue her studies with Patricia Castillo and later with Trinidad Sanchis y Pico at the Faculty of Music in Jalapa Veracruz, where she received several awards and scholarships, graduating in 2002 with the highest marks. In 1998 she participated at the National Piano Competition in Veracruz as a finalist and in 2003 she was invited to play as a soloist the Saint-Saens Second Piano Concerto with the Jalapa Symphony Orchestra, one of the most renowned Orchestras in Mexico. Susana has taken Master Classes with Jorge Federico Osorio, Pascal Roge, Edith Pitch-Axenfeld, Robert Hill, amongst others. She has performed in many cities in Mexico as a soloist as well as an accompanist and from 2000 to 2005 she taught piano and was a staff accompanist at the Faculty of Music. Since September 2005, Susana has been studying for her Master of Music in Piano Accompaniment at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and recently she was invited to represent the RWCMD at the Association Européenne des Conservatoires Congress in Birmingham.
Sophie Elizabeth Kirk (narrator) was born in Germany, beginning her studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2002. She holds her third annual scholarship from the BBC National Chorus of Wales and is a valued member of the Welsh National Youth Opera. Currently in her final year, Sophie intends to return to the College to pursue a Masters degree and a career in performance.
Laura Newman (cello) studied at the Junior Department of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama before attending the Royal Northern College of Music. Former co-principal cellist for the National Youth Orchestra of Wales, Laura won the Richard Harris Memorial prize and the prize for the most promising string player of the NYOW. Laura is currently studying cello at the RWCMD with Penny Driver, and is a founding member of the Nidum String Quartet, the winning ensemble of the National Urdd Eisteddfod 2002 and 2003.
Lewis Vaughan Roderick (narrator) is a son of Llanelli. At 18 he began studying at the Royal Northern College of Music and now studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff, and with Anthony Rolfe Johnson CBE in London. A National Eisteddfod winner, Lewis's professional operatic debut came in 2002, playing the role of Guy in Nicola LeFanu's opera The Green Children at the Buxton International Opera Festival. Since then he has been much in demand as a concert and stage artist, performing works by composers from Bach to Burtch.
Louise Russell (trumpet) was born in Southampton, later moving to Wiltshire where, at the age of eight, she began playing the trumpet in her local brass band. Louise is currently in her third year at RWCMD studying trumpet with Philippe Schartz.
Jane South (flute) was born in 1983 and grew up in North Dorset. She began learning the flute at 13 years old and gained the Laura Marco Prize in 2000 for the highest mark at Grade 8 in Britain. She is in her final year at RWCMD and studies with Roger Armstrong.
Kirsty Witchell (clarinet) was born in Bath and is now in her third year at the RWCMD studying the clarinet with Alison Lambert. She has played in the Cheltenham and Edinburgh festivals as well as in Poland and France. Kirsty is leader of the Wind Orchestra and has played in the College Symphony Orchestra and Opera. She regularly plays in a clarinet quartet which performed at the Wales Millennium Centre last term.
John Reynolds, who conducts the Mortella Ensemble for this concert, grew up in the West Country, and was a member of the National Youth Orchestra before gaining a scholarship to study the clarinet with Thea King and Colin Bradbury at the Royal College of Music. Whilst studying there he won amongst other awards the Thurston Clarinet Prize and the Cobbett Chamber Music Prize. He was also a finalist in the Royal Overseas League Competition as a soloist, and a member of the Halcyon Wind Quintet which won the inaugural Chamber Music section award. A successful playing career followed, including being principal clarinet for Kent Opera under Sir Roger Norrington. He has taught at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and at Chethams School of Music, was Director of Woodwind Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music and, since 2000, has been head of woodwind at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Wherever he has taught he has conducted the Wind Orchestra, taking the RWCMD Wind Orchestra to the Cheltenham Festival in 2004 to give three world premieres.
John is also a Senior Examiner, Trainer, and Moderator for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, and his two clarinet tutor books are in the graded examinations syllabus lists. He has travelled the world in this capacity and has given masterclasses in the USA, Turkey, Finland, Spain, and in many countries in the Far East. He lives in South Wales with his wife, two young children and a crazy Golden Retriever.