It’s been a while coming, as Covid meant we had to postpone the Final of our 2020 ERSO Soloist of the Year competition. And today it’s finally time!
Want to know more about our “fab four” finalists??
Grady recently graduated from his Masters at the Royal College of Music. His ambition is to secure a professional orchestral job and says, “to be able to make a living from playing the tuba would mean I’d never work a day in my life!” He told us that he has always had an affinity for the lower pitched instruments of the orchestra, having also dabbled in bassoon and cello in the past. However, having grown up in a brass dominated household (Grady’s dad played in ERSO on occasion in the past!), the tuba won out.
Hugo is a postgraduate student at the Royal Academy of Music and is also on trial with the BBC Philharmonic as sub-principal bassoon. He started as a violin player before switching to the bassoon at 15 due to a lack of bassoons in the school’s orchestra, and has never regretted the change as he finds the bassoon much more rewarding to play!
Alastair splits his time between performing, composing and teaching. He is a Visiting Professor of Saxophone and Electronics at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, performs as a soloist and in chamber ensembles and composes both contemporary works and educational music.
Preston, who is studying for a Masters told us that when he was about three years old, as he was listening to his older sister practising at home and felt inspired to pick up one of her tiny violins and join in!
ERSO 