Biography

I was lucky enough to have grown up surrounded by music. From an early age, I listened to many different musical genres: folk, rock, jazz, and classical. I started learning the clarinet at the age of eight and quickly discovered my passion for playing music with other people. My local primary school had a brilliant music teacher who ran choirs, ensembles and an orchestra, and I joined as many groups as I could! Playing in Thames Youth Orchestra and in the ensembles and orchestras at the Royal Academy of Music Junior Department made a profound impression on me as a teenager, fuelling my love of collective music making and my desire to be a professional musician.

After finishing school, I studied Music at the University of Birmingham and then moved to Manchester for a Masters in Performance at the Royal Northern College of Music. During my studies, I had many wonderful experiences playing orchestral and chamber music, learned much from inspiring instrumental tutors and lecturers, and made lifelong friends. One experience that stands out from my time at Manchester was getting together with friends to perform Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time around the UK and then on tour in northern India.

Following my studies, I have continued to develop my skills as an orchestral musician, learning much while playing alongside some very talented musicians. I have been fortunate to work with the Hallé Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

I love playing chamber music just as much as orchestral music, so this summer, I organised a concert of Brahms and Beethoven trios with fellow past-members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Foyle Future Firsts programme. It seemed fitting that the venue I chose was not far from the school where I first discovered the joy of making music with others.

When I’m not playing the clarinet, I enjoy being out in nature. Whether running through parks in London, up a hill in the Peak District, or on a walk by the south coast, I feel most centred when surrounded by nature.