Huntingdonshire Music School Association - Percussion

Background

Owen went to school at St Ivo and, as he said in his speech to us on our prize-giving day on May 21st 2006, he started cornet at HuMS but was “rubbish” at it so switched to percussion. His older brother Tim is also a percussionist, and now a professional. Owen played in local bands and also in Cambs County Youth Orchestra but he soon won a place in the National Youth Orchestra. He won the Percussion final of BBC young musician of the year in 2000.

He went to the Royal School of Music and graduated with first class honours in summer 2004.

Whilst at the Royal School of Music, Owen formed a percussion duo with fellow student Oli Cox. They called it “O Duo!” They first performed as ‘O Duo’ at St Martin in the Fields, London, in 2000. Together they won The Philip & Dorothy Green Award for Young Concert Artists 2004.  Oli Cox also graduated with first class honours in summer 2004. They have performed their arrangement of the Vivaldi Double Violin Concerto in A minor several times in Britain, with orchestras including the Locrian Symphony Orchestra.

As well as this, between them, Owen and Oliver have been broadcast on Radio 3, BBC Scotland and BBC2, the latter broadcast being in the winning performance of the BBC Young Musician of the Year Percussion final in 2000. They have also made concerto appearances with the BBC Philharmonic and the Philharmonia orchestra.

They have appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2002 and 2003, being nominated ‘Pick of the Fringe’ both years and winning ‘Best Music Act of the Fringe, 2003’. The duo were also given a concert series by the Tunnell Trust in 2003.

The duo also holds several awards in music education and work regularly for London Musici and the Philharmonia.  They often combine their concerts with exciting and original workshops for people of all ages.

Awards

• BBC Young Musician Percussion winner 2000
• NYOS Staffa Award prize winner
• Pick of the Fringe 2002, 2003 and 2004
• Best Music Act of the Fringe 2003 and 2004
• Winner of the KPMG Music in the Community award with Batterie
• Winner of the Martin Musical Scholarship fund, in outreach and education
• Allianz Cornhill Music Award at the RCM
• Junior Fellow at the RCM 2004-

Links

• O Duo (Young Concert Artists Trust)
• BBC Young Musician of the Year, 2000
• Royal School of Music (Junior Fellowships, News)

At present, ensembles include group theory and aural lessons, 2 Orchestras, 5 Bands and 8 Ensembles. Other ensemble and group playing is encouraged and regular concerts are held in and out of College.

The current groups are:-

Ensembles

• Brass Ensemble
• Choir - Coming Soon (beginning 2010)
• Flute Choir
• Guitar Ensemble
• Intermediate Brass Ensemble
• Saxophone Ensemble
• Senior String Ensemble
• String Ensemble
• Woodwind Ensemble

Bands

• Bluegrass
• Intermediate Concert Band
• Junior Rock Band
• Preparatory Concert band
• Rock Band
• Senior Concert Band
• Big Band

Orchestras

• Junior Orchestra
• Senior Orchestra

The list is fairly fluid as we encourage those with a similar interest to start their own groups.

Students can enter for practical and theory exams from beginner to diploma lessons. Exams are held at Huntingdonshire College every term.

At present, individual tuition is offered on the following instruments -

• Acoustic Guitar
• Banjo
• Bassoon
• Cello
• Clarinet
• Classical Guitar
• Cor Anglais
• Cornet
• Double Bass
• Drum Kit
• Electric Guitar
• Euphonium
• Flugel Horn
• Flute
• French Horn
• Harpsichord
• Horn
• Keyboard
• Eb Bass
• Oboe
• Orchestral Percussion
• Organ
• Piano
• Piccolo
• Recorder
• Saxophones (all)
• Singing
• Tenor Horn
• Trombone
• Trumpet
• Tuba
• Viola
• Violin

Tuition for any other instrument can be arranged. If you want to learn the steel drums or mongolian nose flute you have but to ask