The Tempest Saxophone Quartet

Royal Academy of Music, Young Musicians' Festival Showcase, Saturday 16th November 2002

The Tempest Saxophone Quartet formed at the Royal College of Music in 2001. They have collaborated with DJs from the critically-acclaimed 'Siren Suite' bringing contemporary classical music into London clubs and this led to the group being filmed by the BBC as part of a series on New Music, and also to a performance outside Southwark Cathedral in a concert that also featured Jarvis Cocker of 'Pulp'.

The Quartet has given numerous concerts including recitals at the National Gallery and St. Martin's-within-Ludgate. It has been involved in educational work as a quartet in residence, and in outreach work performing at a hostel for the homeless and at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Recently, the Quartet played at Buckingham Palace for the launch of the Prince of Wales' Arts and Kids Foundation.

In 2002, the Quartet has enjoyed success in competitions, winning the Royal College of Music's Wind Ensemble Prize and reaching the final of the prestigious Royal Overseas League competition. In April they attended a course in Paris given by the French saxophone virtuoso Jean-Yves Formeau and were asked to perform in the final concert given by the Formeau Quartet.

John Barker (soprano saxophone) began playing the saxophone at 11 and at 16 gained a music scholarship to Repton School before entering the Royal College of Music to study with Kyle Horch where he became a Foundation Scholar. In 1998, he was a woodwind finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year and since then has been a prizewinner both in and outside the College, twice winning the RCM Melber Saxophone Prize. From 1999-2000 John studied with Johannes Ernst at the Hochschule der Künste, Berlin as part of the Erasmus Exchange Programme.

John is now studying for an MMus at the RCM where he is holder of a Robert McFadzean Whyte Award, and is also generously supported by an Ian Fleming Music Education Award and the Countess of Munster Musical Trust. December 2001 saw him perform the premiere of Dai Fujikura's tenor saxophone concerto, Faith in Fakes and in June this year he performed Ibert's Concertino da Camera with the RCM Chamber Orchestra.

Naomi Sullivan (alto saxophone) was born 1982 and at the age of 6 attended Chetham's School of Music, performing in a variety of venues including the Bridgewater Hall where she played with their award-winning Wind Band and Big Band (Radio Two Big Band of the Year). In 2000 Naomi took up a foundation scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music with Kyle Horch.

Since beginning her studies at the RCM she has performed in masterclasses with Andy Scott, Stan Saltzman, Jean-Yves Formeau, William Street, Martin Robertson, Gerard McCrystal and Ron Blake. In 2002 she was awarded Highly Commended in the Jane Melber Prize for Saxophonists.

Heidi Norris-Jones (tenor saxophone) was born and educated in Sussex and at the age of 16 went to study on the Pre-Professional Music Course at the East Sussex Academy of Music where she took her A-levels. Whilst there, Heidi performed with a variety of orchestras and bands at venues which included locations in London, France, Belgium and Germany. She also played in the orchestra for an opera performance at Glyndebourne.

In 1998 Heidi obtained a bursary for the Dartington International Music Festival and in the September of the same year took up her undergraduate place at the Royal College of Music.

Heidi frequently performs in recitals as a soloist and as a member of ensembles as well as in shows for various theatre companies.

Lucy Riley (baritone saxophone) was born and educated in Sussex and took up the saxophone in 1991 at the age of 13. She studied on the East Sussex Pre-Professional Music Course from the age of 16 and during her time there was a British finalist in the European Music for Youth Prize for saxophonists. At 18 she began her studies at the Royal College of Music with Kyle Horch, participating in numerous masterclasses with eminent saxophonists such as Jean-Yves Formeau, Claude Delangle and Arno Bornkamp.

In 2000, Lucy was among students selected to represent the RCM on an international saxophone course at the Sweelink Conservatorium Amsterdam. She enjoyed success in competitions during her time at college, reaching the 1997 London final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year and winning the RCM's 1998 Jane Melber Prize for Saxophonists. She was also a finalist in the 2000 Clarinet and Saxophone Society's Young Player of the Year Competition.

Lucy pursues an active interest in educational work and was selected by the RCM to work on the 2001 government-funded Higher Education Summer School. She graduated from the Royal College of Music in the summer of 2002 with a BMus (Hons).

Programme details | Pictures from 2002 [1] [2]