Luke

As a young music student, I have just completed my undergraduate course in performance at the Royal Northern College of Music on the oboe and cor anglais. Prior to my enrollment in Manchester, I was a student at Wells Cathedral School in Somerset - a specialist music school with a outstanding orchestral and chamber music curricula within a 1000-year-old environment! As a multi-instrumentalist, I thoroughly enjoy orchestral performance, and have appeared in numerous ensembles across the southwest of England as Principal Oboist with perhaps my highest-profile performances ranking with the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Great Britain (NYWO) where I performed abroad and also at the BBC Proms (Prom 40, 12/08/12). More recently, I have been accepted to study at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) from September 2015 for a postgraduate Orchestral Performance (MMus.) course and in the final weeks of my study at the RNCM won the highly-coveted Rothwell Prize for solo oboe performance. My most recent performance was the UK premiere of Penderecki's Seventh Symphony conducted by the composer himself.

As well as my strong commitments upon the oboe (and doubling on the cor anglais), I have also performed within a number of choirs all across the country. These include the RNCM Chamber Choir with the King's Singers, choral workshops with Harry Christophers (The Sixteen) and the Wellensian Consort (BBC Choir of the Year 2010). I have appeared numerous times on BBC Radio Three with a plethora of ensembles, and have worked with high-profile composers and musicians such as James Gourlay, James MacMillan and Sir Mark Elder. Furthermore, I am a strong performer in shows and have a wide experience of pit performance (including numerous Gilbert and Sullivan productions, 'Les Miserables', 'Oliver!' and many more).

Tutoring Experience

As a relatively young yet experienced performer, I am entering into professional teaching for the first time after a few short stints with individual pupils in the past. I am happy to cater for a whole range of instruments (oboe, cor anglais, bassoon, piano and voice) at a whole range of levels - subject to discussion. Furthermore, I am interested in pursuing ABRSM and Trinity-Guildhall examination ambitions among potential students, as well as encouraging membership of local ensembles and orchestras if so desired. (I believe this to be a fundamental part of learning music with hungry ambitions)! I have attended workshops from the ABRSM Teaching Department, and in this capacity I would be able to afford limited assistance with music theory - although musical literacy will be a key element of my tuition regardless of focus.

Tutoring Approach

Depending upon the level of tuition, I will be keen to cement a strong 'hands-on' approach to learning both the instrument and the notes on the page with a hearty bias upon the enjoyment and creative element of music making. I hope that this in itself should both boost confidence in performance and self-esteem in the individual music value of their output! I am wholeheartedly in favour of allowing pupils to pursue their own interests (to some extent). Improvisation - not necessarily jazz - will be encouraged. I am able to offer lessons individually or as a group where discounts will apply.