Introducing our soloist for Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, the fantastic William Bracken! 🎹
William Bracken, currently a postgraduate student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, was born into a musical family. His father, Ian, led the cello section of YMSO in the 1980s and is currently a member of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. William began learning the piano at the age of four. He studied with Richard Meyrick on the Pianoman scholarship scheme, with Jonathan Middleton at the Junior RNCM and now studies with Ronan O’Hora, Martin Roscoe and Paul Roberts at GSMD. William has performed concertos by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Gershwin, Saint-Saëns and Prokofiev, and has won prizes at the Welsh International Piano Festival and the Musikfest Wasserschloss Gesmold competition in Germany. He most recently won the GSMD’s Glass Sellers’ Beethoven Prize and currently holds a teaching position in the keyboard department at Eltham College in South-East London. William is supported in his postgraduate studies by the Munster Trust Derek Butler Award and by the Craxton Memorial Trust.
We’re so excited to be welcoming audiences back for a brilliant evening of music, including Wagner’s Prelude to Lohengrin, Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto (with soloist William Bracken) and the showstopping Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony! 🎶
In June 2021, the YMSO returned to St John’s Smith Square with a programme showcasing the abilities of their young musicians in repertoire for full symphony orchestra, including Elgar's In the South and Glazunov Symphony No. 5 in B flat Major.
We are thrilled to present a full video of this concert, which can be enjoyed at the YouTube link below: youtu.be/A1GtEiELatY
The perfect viewing to brighten up a wet Monday afternoon! ☔️ ... See MoreSee Less
Fergus McCready is an oboist currently in his third year undergrad at the Royal Academy of Music. Fergus has been Principle Oboe with YMSO since 2019, during which he has had the opportunity to perform a variety of great orchestral works, one of his favourites being Brahms Symphony No. 1. During lockdown, Fergus used the time to refine his oboe reeds, experimenting with different techniques and devices. Aside from this, Fergus found that the lockdown period presented a great opportunity for him to explore other hobbies of his outside of music, such as rock climbing and trail running in his local area of South Devon. ... See MoreSee Less
We’re so excited to be be back in the wonderful St John’s Smith Square, rehearsing Egar and Glazunov for our concert this Wednesday! 🎶 ... See MoreSee Less
Phoebe Clarke, originally from Melbourne, Australia, is currently in her third year undergraduate at the Royal College of Music, studying classical double bass. She’s recently been spending time trying to expand her knowledge of solo repertoire on the double bass, and posting daily on her Instagram practice account.
Throughout lockdown, Phoebe co-founded “Bassists with Boobs”, a platform to promote, empower and celebrate underrepresented genders in the double bass community. Other than this, and practice of course, she loves playing with her dogs, teaching and being crafty!
Phoebe has been performing with YMSO since 2019, and has thoroughly enjoyed playing in a more “professional” environment. She led the double bass section in the last live concert in November, and has loved contributing to the YMSO Virtual Concerts in anticipation for when they take place in person once again. ... See MoreSee Less
Leah Leong is originally from Bristol and completed her masters degree at the Royal Academy of Music in August 2020. She plays in a variety of ensembles ranging from classical to pop and can’t wait to start performing again.
Since 2018, Leah has been the principal cellist in YMSO and has loved exploring a wide range of orchestral repertoire and meeting so many other musicians from different conservatoires.
During lockdown, Leah has been running and trying to improve on her 10k PB time, experimenting with recording at home, volunteering in her local zero waste shop, and watching a lot of Netflix. ... See MoreSee Less
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It’s great to be finally be back on the stage at the beautiful St John’s Smith Square once again for our concert this Wednesday 13th October!
There are still some tickets available here:
www.sjss.org.uk/book?873620021 ... See MoreSee Less
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... See MoreSee Less
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Introducing our soloist for Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, the fantastic William Bracken! 🎹
William Bracken, currently a postgraduate student at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, was born into a musical family. His father, Ian, led the cello section of YMSO in the 1980s and is currently a member of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. William began learning the piano at the age of four. He studied with Richard Meyrick on the Pianoman scholarship scheme, with
Jonathan Middleton at the Junior RNCM and now studies with Ronan O’Hora, Martin Roscoe and Paul Roberts at GSMD. William has performed concertos by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Gershwin, Saint-Saëns and Prokofiev, and has won prizes at the Welsh International Piano Festival and the Musikfest Wasserschloss Gesmold competition in Germany. He most recently won the GSMD’s Glass Sellers’ Beethoven Prize and currently holds a teaching position in the keyboard department at Eltham College in South-East London. William is supported in his postgraduate studies by the Munster Trust Derek Butler Award and by the Craxton Memorial Trust.
Hear William next Wednesday 13th October, at St John’s Smith Square:
www.sjss.org.uk/book?873620021 ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Our next concert at St John’s Smith Square is just three weeks away!
We’re so excited to be welcoming audiences back for a brilliant evening of music, including Wagner’s Prelude to Lohengrin, Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto (with soloist William Bracken) and the showstopping Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony! 🎶
Tickets are available on the SJSS website: www.sjss.org.uk/book?873620021 ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
In June 2021, the YMSO returned to St John’s Smith Square with a programme showcasing the abilities of their young musicians in repertoire for full symphony orchestra, including Elgar's In the South and Glazunov Symphony No. 5 in B flat Major.
We are thrilled to present a full video of this concert, which can be enjoyed at the YouTube link below:
youtu.be/A1GtEiELatY
The perfect viewing to brighten up a wet Monday afternoon! ☔️ ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
MEET THE PLAYERS:
Fergus McCready is an oboist currently in his third year undergrad at the Royal Academy of Music. Fergus has been Principle Oboe with YMSO since 2019, during which he has had the opportunity to perform a variety of great orchestral works, one of his favourites being Brahms Symphony No. 1. During lockdown, Fergus used the time to refine his oboe reeds, experimenting with different techniques and devices. Aside from this, Fergus found that the lockdown period presented a great opportunity for him to explore other hobbies of his outside of music, such as rock climbing and trail running in his local area of South Devon. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Beautiful sound last Wednesday, Fergus 👏
Day 2 of rehearsals in sunny Westminster at the beautiful St John’s Smith Square! ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
We’re so excited to be be back in the wonderful St John’s Smith Square, rehearsing Egar and Glazunov for our concert this Wednesday! 🎶 ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
MEET THE PLAYERS:
Phoebe Clarke, originally from Melbourne, Australia, is currently in her third year undergraduate at the Royal College of Music, studying classical double bass. She’s recently been spending time trying to expand her knowledge of solo repertoire on the double bass, and posting daily on her Instagram practice account.
Throughout lockdown, Phoebe co-founded “Bassists with Boobs”, a platform to promote, empower and celebrate underrepresented genders in the double bass community. Other than this, and practice of course, she loves playing with her dogs, teaching and being crafty!
Phoebe has been performing with YMSO since 2019, and has thoroughly enjoyed playing in a more “professional” environment. She led the double bass section in the last live concert in November, and has loved contributing to the YMSO Virtual Concerts in anticipation for when they take place in person once again. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
A most wonderful Thames Youth Orchestra alumna too!
Go Phoebe!!!
☺️☺️☺️
As we can’t be performing together today at St.John’s Smith Square, we thought we would put together another Virtual Performance for you all to enjoy!
youtu.be/i81ZQ0uxy0k ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
MEET THE PLAYERS:
Leah Leong is originally from Bristol and completed her masters degree at the Royal Academy of Music in August 2020. She plays in a variety of ensembles ranging from classical to pop and can’t wait to start performing again.
Since 2018, Leah has been the principal cellist in YMSO and has loved exploring a wide range of orchestral repertoire and meeting so many other musicians from different conservatoires.
During lockdown, Leah has been running and trying to improve on her 10k PB time, experimenting with recording at home, volunteering in her local zero waste shop, and watching a lot of Netflix. ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
You can hear Leah playing in the solo section at the start of Wagner's 'Siegfried Idyll' www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7u9jN7Cmco&t=4s
Photo by Olivia Da Costa Photo