Springboard – Brighton & Hove Performing Arts Festival
Brighton & Hove Performing Arts Festival – providing a supportive platform for actors and musicians of all ages
We were delighted to hear from Eleanor Voak from Oxford, who gave a wonderful performance on the recorder at this year’s festival. She was joint winner of the Senior woodwind recital and jazz classes. She has just heard that she passed her ARSM in recorder with distinction. Her talents also extend to the bassoon on which she gained her DipABRSM earlier this year.
Winner of the Springboard Intermediate Concerto in 2013, Daniel Shao has finished his MA studies with Distinction, DipRAM, the Chris Taylor Flute Award and Alumni Development Award for Outstanding Studentship. He studied under Samuel Coles at the Royal Academy of Music, supported by a Countess of Munster Musical Trust award. In 2018, he won the British Flute Society Young Artist Competition 2018.
Springboard would like to congratulate Freya Clarke, winner of the Senior Piano Championship this year, who has just been awarded an ARSM Diploma with Distinction.
AYM supports talented young people from low-income families to fulfil their musical potential by providing both funding and opportunities.
Brighton pianist Molly O’Flynn has won an award this year, and as well as financial help for musical costs, will have the opportunity to receive coaching, attend master classes, participate in events with professional musicians, and play in concerts.
Her older sister, Natasha, has been on the awards scheme for the last two years, which has enabled her to buy a good quality viola as well as giving her opportunities to attend concerts and watch soloists such as Nicola Benedetti rehearse.
The deadline for applications for a 2019 award is March 2019. For further details and eligibility criteria click here
Springboard put Berniya Hamie forward for the Rotary Club Young Musicians competition. We were delighted that she qualified for the final in Edinburgh in May where she was placed third. Many congratulations to her.
Pianist Ashley Beauchamp
Brighton Youth Orchestra String Ensemble
Soloists Freya Stewart, Rama Suphadet, Amelia Callard and Conrad Burton
Danny House, New Way Lane, Hurstpierpoint BN6 9BB
Sunday 24 June at 7.30pm (doors from 7pm)
Free for encore members
Suggested donation of £20 on the door for non-members (including interval drinks)
For more information click here
Don’t miss the BYO Concert on Sunday (13 May, 5.00pm, All Saint’s, Hove) at which Berniya Hamie will be performing Grieg’s Piano Concerto. She is stepping in at the last minute after Hazel Nguyen had to withdraw due to injury.
We would like to congratulate Berniya Hamie for making it through to the National Final of the Rotary UK Young Musician Competition. She won the Regional Final last weekend with a performance of a Bach Prelude and Fugue the Chair of judges described as “very special”, and an “amazing” rendition of Ravel’s Miroirs no. 4. The judges were also impressed by Milan Beckett’s “great command” of his cello.
We wish Berniya all the best for the National Final in Edinburgh on 19 May.
As part of their prize from the Brighton Phil, last year’s Springboard Festival winners Berniya Hamie and Natasha O’Flynn chose to attend the Brighton Phil’s rehearsal at Brighton Dome on Sunday 11 February 2018 and met guest conductor Howard Shelley.
Natasha was accompanied to the rehearsal by her piano teacher, and grandmother, Nicola Grunberg, and a fascinating family connection to Howard Shelley was revealed. Nicola studied piano with Lamar Crowson at the Royal College of Music alongside Hilary Macnamara, Howard Shelley’s future wife.
Read more here
Springboard was treated to a series of wonderful performances by some highly accomplished young string players this weekend. Two cellists, Dilara Sahin (pictured) and Milan Beckett, won the Corin Long recital classes 
(senior and junior), and adjudicator Mark Messenger picked cellist Riya Hamie to receive the Cecil Aronowitz cup for the most promising string player.
But they were just three among many players whose musicianship and skill (developed through hours of dedicated practice) those of us in the audience felt privileged to have the chance to experience.