Euphonium and Piano Duo February 13, 2013

Venue/Location: Peel Hall, Peel Building, University of Salford, Salford, M5 4WT
Event type: Music
Description:

Concert and Masterclass

Concert 1.00pm – 2.00pm, masterclass 2.15pm – 3.15pm

David Thornton Euphonium

Ben Clarke Piano

David Thornton is regarded as one of the foremost euphonium players and teachers of his generation. His work as a soloist, conductor and educator is renowned throughout the brass playing world as having a distinct hallmark of extreme virtuosity, professionalism and an ability to connect with audiences like few others in his field. He has held solo euphonium positions with the Fairey Band (1997-2000) and the Black Dyke Band (2000-2010) having won European, National and British Open titles during this time. David is currently the solo euphonium player with the world famous Brighouse and Rastrick Band.

He has earned many awards, including scholarships from the Countess of Munster Trust and the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe, a hat-trick of solo awards at the National Euphonium Conference 1995, 1997 and 1999, first prize at the Verso Il Millenio International Euphonium Competition, and most notably as the International Euphonium Player of the Year 2001.

He has given world premieres by composers such as Philip Wilby, Peter Meechan, Simon Dobson, Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen, Peter Graham, Phillip Venables and Lucy Pankhurst.

David has released two solo albums. His debut CD, Three Worlds, was awarded Solo CD of the Year for 2004 by British Bandsman magazine. In May 2007 David released his second solo album, Devil’s Duel. Furthermore, David features as a soloist on 22 different albums of band music, including Epic Brass and Jubilee Brass - live recordings of two concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.

Ben Clarke studied Music at the prestigious Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester University and the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM); where he gained the RNCM Keyboard Competence Prize and became an Associate of the Royal College of Music in Piano Performance. Ben has worked and performed regularly as a piano soloist and accompanist and as a freelance trumpet player.

Ben has accompanied some of the finest instrumentalists in the world, notably the euphonium players Steven Mead, Robert Childs, David Childs and David Thornton.

He has given recitals at the Wigmore Hall and Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, and has performed at Kendal’s Contemporary Music Festival, the Windsor Festival and the International Tuba/Euphonium Conference. He has also performed on various occasions with the Northern Tuba Quartet.

Admission is free.

Official Website: http://www.salford.ac.uk/home-page/events/events/euphonium-and-piano-duo