Guildhall School of Music and Drama, YMF 2003
Simon Sturgeon-Clegg, currently a student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, spent his formative years in Oxfordshire where he was a member of the county youth orchestras and brass bands. During this time, he was also a member of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, playing soprano cornet. In 1989, Simon joined the Royal Artillery Band where he performed across Europe as well as most of the British Isles. He has played on many broadcasts and performed as a soloist in the Haydn, Hummel, Neruda and Arnold trumpet concertos. Since his studies began, Simon has played with a number of freelance orchestras, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and, recently, from St. Martin in the Fields for a live radio broadcast for BBC Radio 4.
Ryan Matthews grew up in Wales and started life as a cornet player and has the rare distinction of having been Principal Cornet and Trumpet with the National Youth Brass Band and Orchestra of Wales respectively. Ryan, who begins studies at the Royal Academy of Music in September 2003, is currently at the GSMD. During his time here, Ryan has performed with several chamber ensembles, the National Chamber Orchestra of Wales, the London Philharmonic Youth Orchestra as well as many freelance orchestras in and around the south-east. In addition to this, he has performed as a soloist on many occasions, broadcasts and, in 2000, reached the semi-final of the BBC Young Musician Competition.
Rebecca Hill started playing the french horn when she was nine and attended Junior Guildhall before receiving a scholarship to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain from 1995 and became Principal Horn in her last year with the Orchestra. During this time, she won several prizes including the John Fletcher Memorial Prize, the Junior Guildhall Lutine Prize and the Silver Medal in the 1999 Shell / LSO Competition, culminating in a performance of the Mozart Second Horn Concerto with the LSO in the Barbican Hall. Since her studies began, Rebecca has embarked upon a busy schedule with several chamber ensembles, freelance orchestras and recently has been on trial with the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Stephen Turton is currently a student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama but spent his early life in East Yorkshire where he was a member of the local brass bands and orchestras. He became a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain where he performed at the main concert venues across Europe under the baton of such conductors as Rostropovich. At this time he also became the Principal Trombone of the NYO. Stephen was recently awarded a full scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music and will begin his post-graduate studies there in September. He has performed with many freelance orchestras and chamber ensembles, and future engagements will include a performance as soloist in the Gordon Jacob Trombone Concerto with the Yorkshire Youth Orchestra at Giggleswick School, Settle in April this year.
Peter Smith grew up in the north of England where, having first taken up the clarinet, he changed to the tuba to follow in the grand brass band tradition of this area. He attended Chetham's School of Music where he became involved in its orchestras and brass ensembles, and went on to have an extremely distinguished brass band career, becoming Principal Tuba in both the Yorkshire Building Society Band and the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. In addition to this, he has played with the Grimethorpe Colliery, Fodens, Fairey's Engineering and Black Dyke Mills bands respectively. Peter is currently a student at the Royal Academy of Music where he is involved in the Orchestra and the Symphonic Brass ensemble. He also freelances with orchestras in the south-east, and with several chamber groups.