Our Venue – St John’s Boxmoor
Saturday 16th November 2024
Humperdinck: Hänsel and Gretel Prelude
Beethoven: Piano Concerto no 5 – soloist Alex Wyatt
Brahms: Symphony 4
Alex Wyatt is a pianist currently studying for an undergraduate degree at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire under Dr. Robert Markham and Professor Pascal Nemirovski. Alongside his regular studies he has participated in masterclasses with Michel Beroff, Jura Margulis, Antti Siirala, John Thwaites, James Brawn, Peter Donohoe and Louis Schwizgebel. He was awarded the Miss Bowen Challenge Cup for a First-Year Pianist has won the Denis Matthews prize and the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra concerto prize during his studies.
He also works as a collaborative pianist, accompanying solo musicians and vocalists alongside playing in small chamber ensembles. Additionally he has performed as an orchestral pianist and in several non-conventional contemporary music ensembles, premiering works by composition students. Alex also assists the Orchestral Conducting postgraduate courses at RBC, playing reductions of core orchestral repertoire.
In addition to piano, he has previously studied composition under Dr. Kirsty Devaney and Dr. Bobbie-Jane Gardner and worked on arrangements for Music of the Unseen, a project celebrating the work of David Axelrod.
Saturday 8th February 2025
American Music programme featuring:
Marquez: Mascaras – soloist Clara Gatti Comini
Moncayo: Huapango
and more!
Clara Gatti Comini is an Italian harpist, currently carrying out a doctoral research in harp at the London College of Music, as a recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship. She completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees with Distinction at Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance, where she studied as a scholar under the guidance of Gabriella Dall’Olio and Frances Kelly. In 2016 she obtained a Harp Diploma at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional in Paris, studying with Elisabetta Giorgi. Prior to this, she studied at the Conservatori Municipal de Música de Barcelona with Maria Lluïsa Ibáñez and Maria Lluïsa Sánchez. She has attended masterclasses with internationally renowned harpists including Fabrice Pierre, Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Catherine Michel, Isabelle Moretti, Sylvain Blassel, Elizabeth Fontan-Binoche, Heidi Krutzen and Park Stickney.In 2023 Clara was selected to be a member harpist of the European Union Youth Orchestra, performing in Amsterdam Congertgebouw, Berlin Konzerthaus, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Grafenegg Wolkenturm, Wiesbaden Kurhaus, Bolzano Teatro Comunale, under the baton of Antonio Pappano (LSO, ROH) and Manfred Honeck and with the soloists Julia Fischer, Martin James Bartlett and Benjamin Grosvenor.
Since 2019, she is a member of Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, performing at St. John’s Smith Square and Cadogan Hall.
Clara is a winner of the United Kingdom Harp Association Emerging Artist Scheme 2024, John Marson Harp Prize for Outstanding Musicianship 2020, the Cherubim Music Trust Harp Prize 2020, consisting in a four year loan of a full-size pedal harp, and holds third prize at the London Camac Harp Competition 2020. She has won various competitions from a young age, including Arpa Plus and L’Arjau in Barcelona.In 2020 she performed Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto at Wigmore Hall as part of Trinity Laban’s Strings’ program. She has given solo performances at St. James’s Church Piccadilly, the Lingotto in Turin, Nice Classic Live, Harps on Wight Festival, Agimus Grosseto, and Borough New Music where she performed the UK premiere of Ada Gentile’s piece Scaglie di Mare for solo harp. In London, she regularly performs at the Queen’s House, the Old Royal Naval College Chapel and St. Alfege Chapel.
As a harp teacher, Clara’s students have won multiple prizes at harp competitions, including first prize at the London Camac Harp Competition, London Young Musician, Glowing Harp Competition in Ukraine, International Fringe Association in Hong Kong, and have been accepted to the National Children’s Orchestra in the UK.
Besides her harp studies, in 2017 she obtained a bachelor’s degree in International Development from King’s College London.
Saturday 26th April 2025 – conductor David Smith
Rossini: Semiramide Overture
Nino Rota: Bassoon Concerto – soloist Rosemary Cow
Tchaikovsky: Capriccio Italien
Verdi: Force of Destiny Overture
Puccini: Crisantemi
Rosie Cow has been playing bassoon since the age of 11, studying at the Junior Department at Royal College of Music from the age of 12. Then at the Royal College of Music, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
This has led Rosie to a varied and exciting career playing both bassoon and contrabassoon for many top UK orchestras including BBC National Orchestra of Wales, London Concert Orchestra, London Mozart Players, and Welsh National Opera. Rosie was appointed Principal Bassoon with English Symphony Orchestra in 2016 and Bath Philharmonia in 2022. As a soloist she has performed Mozart, Weber and Vivaldi Bassoon Concertos, and the Ruth Gipps Contrabassoon Concerto ‘Leviathan’ in 2022 with ESO.
Rosie enjoys coaching and teaching musicians of all ages. Teaching pupils as young as 7 on the mini bassoon to many young at heart adult learners too and developing the next generation of musicians as Bassoon Teacher at Junior Guildhall in London. Rosie also makes bassoon reeds for professionals and students all over the world.
When not playing the bassoon Rosie loves being in the mountains, from ski touring in Japan to expeditions in the Himalayas climbing Mera Peak (6,500m), Island Peak (6,200m) and trekking to Everest Base Camp (5,400m).
Sunday 13th July 2025 – co. conducted: Claudio Di Meo and Eduardo Cedeño
Symphonic music featured in films including:
Mascagni, Cavalleria rusticana
Tchaikovsky, Excerpts from The Nutcracker Suite
Rimsky-Korsakov – Night on the Bare Mountain
Barber – Adagio for Strings
Richard Wagner – Ride of The Valkyries
… and more!