Ramhorns: the students
RAMHORNS, the Royal Academy of Music horn ensemble is directed by horn professors Michael Thompson, Richard Watkins and Martin Owen and is dedicated to the study and performance of music at the highest level. Through ensemble playing, the students develop the important skills of leadership, teamwork and communication. The group is flexible in number, typically ranging from four to sixteen players and all the members, from first year undergraduates to final year postgraduates, share equal responsibility for all aspects of the music without hierarchy. Every one learns to play all the parts; to lead and to follow. With regular rehearsals and performances in London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Southampton and the USA, the ramhorns are establishing a reputation for musical integrity and excellence.
Michael Kidd
Michael Kidd began playing the horn at the age of 8, studying first with David Golightly and then Liz Davis. At the age of 13, Michael was awarded a scholarship to study at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester.
Whilst at Chetham's Michael was frequently a member of Chetham's Symphony Orchestra, under direction of conductors such as Franz Anton Krager, Mark Elder, Yan Pascal Tortelier, and Jac Van Steen, and also Haydn's 'Creation' Oratorio on period instruments under Paul McCreesh. At the age of 16 Michael was awarded the Performance Diploma of the ABRSM with distinction, and at 18 was awarded the Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music. For this he performed on both modern French horn and Natural horn, performing Mozart's 3rd horn concerto on the latter.
Michael is also a member of the Britten Pears Young Artists Programme, having performed Schubert's Octet with the Navarra String Quartet as well as taking part in the Britten Pears Orchestra.
On leaving Chetham's Michael was awarded the ?Win Birchall Memorial Prize for Brass and then took up a place at the Royal Academy of Music studying with Richard Watkins and natural horn with Andrew Clark. Michael's studies are supported by the Leverhulme Trust.
Christopher George Beagles
Chris started playing the horn at the age of 12 and within a year he joined the City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra and two years later became the principal horn.
In 2004 he started studying at the Junior department of the Royal Northern College of Music with Tom Redmond and won several prizes for his playing.
In 2006 he got a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music where he has begun his study with Mike Thompson.
Edmund Morgan
Edmund began his musical life as a chorister in the Dunstable Priory Choir at only seven-years old. From there he gained a deep interest in music and took up the trumpet at ten before crossing over to the French horn. It was not long before Edmund reached high standards in his two main disciplines, achieving Grade VIII distinction (ABRSM) on horn and the St. Nicholas' Award (RSCM). After many years of singing and playing Edmund decided to concentrate his efforts on the horn while his voice was breaking.
Born in Luton, Edmund played with many local and regional ensembles. He joined Bedfordshire Youth Orchestra at thirteen and has since played with Dacorum Symphony Orchestra and Sinfonia among other well-known groups, as well as singing with the Southern Cathedral Singers. At Bedfordshire Youth Orchestra Edmund was lucky enough to be coached by Christopher Larkin (4th horn BBC Symphony Orchestra), Derek Taylor (former professor of horn at RAM) and Brendan Thomas. It was also here where he formed a barbershop quartet, 'The Afternoon Delights' with three other music students. More recently Edmund has played with many London student orchestras and has been on tour with the World Youth Orchestra.
After two years at Trinity College of Music studying with Mike Murray and Roger Montgomery, Edmund now studies at the Royal Academy of Music under Michael Thompson after receiving an entrance scholarship. During his time at Trinity he managed to play principal in the college symphony orchestra, sinfonia and wind ensembles.
Emma Cotton
Emma began playing the horn at the age of 9 at Penkridge Middle School. At the age of 13 she joined Staffordshire Youth Wind Orchestra and later moved to principal in the Symphony Orchestra. In 2000 she began at Birmingham Conservatoire Junior School. In January 2005 she played Mozart Horn Concerto No 2 with the Staffordshire Chamber orchestra in Hednesford. She is currently principal Horn of the CBSO Youth Orchestra where she has played under conductors including, Sakari Oramo, Paul Daniels, Martyn Brabbins and Mike Seal, in regular concerts, recently performing Shostakovich Cello concerto with the soloist Guy Johnson in Symphony Hall, Birmingham.
Emma is currently in her 3rd year of the undergraduate program at the Academy studying with Michael Thompson and Richard Watkins. Whilst at the Academy she has played in the Symphony Orchestra under conductors including Sir Colin Davis and Susanne Malkai and Concert orchestra, Manson ensemble and Musical theatre Orchestra.
Emma Hawkins
Emma began playing the French Horn aged 11 while attending Oxford High School with Robert Cutting Sr, and later with Fiona Parker. At the age of 14 she joined the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra, of which she became principal horn aged 16. In the same year she became a member of the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Great Britain and became co-principal horn aged 18. In her final year at school she performed Mozart's 4th horn concerto with the Oxford Concerto Orchestra and Richard Strauss's 1st horn concerto with the Wantage Orchestra.
Emma is currently in her second undergraduate year at the Royal Academy of Music having won a full scholarship, and is studying with Michael Thompson and Richard Watkins. She is also studying the natural horn with Andrew Clark. Since beginning at the RAM she has worked with conductors such as Yan Pascal Tortelier and Susanna Malkki. She was also involved in the recording of Richard Strauss's music for symphonic wind ensemble. Emma is particularly interested in chamber music and and over the past two years has performed in the Holywell Rooms in Oxford with her brass quintet, and has performed the Summer Music for wind quintet by Samuel Barber and Brahms's Horn Trio.
Estefanía Beceiro
She was born in As Pontes de García Rodríguez in 1986. She began her musical studies with eight years in her natal town conservatory with the teacher Juan Bautista Bernat. She continued her musical studies in the Conservatorio Profesional de Música de A Coruña and in the Conservatorio Superior de Música de A Coruña with the same teacher. In 2005 she continued her musical studies in the Conservatorio Superior de Música del País Vasco (“Musikene”) with the teachers Rodolfo Epelde and Óscar Sala and in Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofia with Radovan Vlatkovic. Presently she continues her studies in Royal Academy of Music, in London, with Martin Owen, Michael Thompson and Richard Watkins.
She has received lessons with several teachers like Luís Morató, Salvador Navarro, Vicente Zarzo, Hervè Joulain, José Vicente Castelló, Eric Terwilliger, Dale Clevenger or Hermann Baumann.
In 2005 she won the 2nd Prize in the first category in the National Competition for Young Horn Players in Alba de Tormes (Salamanca).
She has studied in the Escuela de altos estudios musicales de Galicia, and she has been member of the Galicia Symphonic Youth Orchestra, Spanish National Youth Orchestra and European Union Youth Orchestra. Currently she is a member of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra.
She has played with several profesional orchestras like: Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Real Filarmonía de Galicia, Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao and Mozart Orchestra, and she has been conducted by Antoni Ros Marbá, James Ross, Vasily Petrenko, Herbert Blomsted, Luzt Köhler , Ingo Metzmacher, Zubin Mehta or Claudio Abbado.
In 2008-2009, Estefanía Beceiro was principal horn in Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid.
She has also played with some chamber music groups like Mlàdi Ensemble: like a wind quintet playing concerts in the Basque Country, Cataluña and France; and like a wind octet winning in 2007 the 2nd Prize in the First Category in the Chamber Music Competition “Higini Anglés”.
Abigail Pullman
Abbie Pullman began her musical life on the trumpet progressing via tenor horn to the French Horn, performing in many ensembles form an early age. A full DfES scholarship to Wells Cathedral School at Sixth Form helped her to gain her place at Trinity College of Music where she graduated with First Class Honours in 2008, and led to her subsequent scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music for her Masters course.
Notable performances include playing principal horn with SUPERBRASS (the RPO principals brass dectet) at the 2008 Olympic Torch ceremony in Trafalgar Square and a concert of excerpts from Wagner’s ‘Ring Cycle’ at the Royal Opera House with one instrumental section from each college. She has performed with ensembles such as Ernest Read Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Britannica, Orchestra Elan, Covent Garden Chamber Orchestra, Surrey Brass and Bloomsbury Chamber Orchestra, as well as playing principal in all of TCMs senior ensembles. Abbie has also taken part in collaborative film/composition projects led by prestigious composers and tutors such as Stephen Montague and Dominic Murcott performing at events such as Sonic Illuminations for the spnm at the British Film Institute
In the future she aims to become a professional musician, hoping to play in one of the major symphony orchestras alongside other musicians at the pinnacle of their profession.
Hannes Arnold
Hannes Arnold, born in Austria 1985, started to play the Horn when he was 9. As a teenager he was repeated prizewinner at the Austrian National Youth competition “Prima la Musica”. At 15 he began his studies with Prof. Hansjorg Angerer at the Mozarteum Salzburg where he subsequently completed his studies with a BA degree in 2008. Currently he is studying with Michael Thompson, Richard Watkins and Martin Owen at the Royal Academy of Music in London to obtain a Master of Arts degree.
Hannes has performed in various concert, opera and CD productions as a Solohorn with orchestras such as Sinfonietta da Camera Salzburg, Junge Philharmonie Salzburg, and Wiener Jeunesse Orchester, and 2nd Horn in Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra. As Hannes Arnold is very interested in different cultures and languages, tours around Europe as well as Asia offer a great possibility to get in touch with a variety of people.
Hugh Sisley
Hugh Sisley has studied with Richard Watkins and David Bentley as a pupil at St Paul’s School and GSMD junior department. In his first term at the Academy he performed Sea Eagle in a concert attended by the composer, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.
He also took part in a recording of the St Paul’s Fragments with fellow students Elise Campbell and Emily Wiggins and professors Michael Thompson, Richard Watkins and Martin Owen.
Elise Cambell
Elise started playing the horn aged 9 at Aylesbury Music Centre, under Jonathan Morecombe. She progressed quickly, and by the age of 11 was a member of Aylesbury Music Centre Youth Orchestra, and Buckinghamshire County Youth Orchestra. By the age of 12 and 13, she was the principal horn of both orchestras respectively.
In 2004, Elise gained a place at the Royal Academy of Music Junior Department, learning under Simon de Souza. At jRAM she was immediately a member of the Junior Academy Symphony Orchestra, becoming principal horn two years later. During her time at the Junior Academy, she came very highly commended three times in the Brass Prize and also won a concerto play through with the symphony orchestra. In her final year, she was part of a successful wind quintet who represented Junior Academy at Sadler's Wells, and performed the Poulenc Sextet at St Martin in the Fields.
Elise was the principal horn of the National Youth Chamber Orchestra in 2005, and of the National School's Symphony Orchestra in 2006. In 2007 she gained a full scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music, where she is currently studying with Michael Thompson and Richard Watkins.
Now in her second year at the Academy, Elise has been principal horn in both the RAM Symphony and Concert Orchestras, as well as in the RAM Symphonic Wind Ensemble. Additionally, she has performed with the Symphonic Brass Ensemble and Manson Ensemble. Chamber music performances have included the Brahms Horn Trio, Poulenc Wind Sextet, and Strauss's 'Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks' arranged for quintet. During her time at the Academy, Elise has worked under the baton of Thierry Fischer, Yan Pascal Tortelier, and Pablo Heras-Casado, and in August 2009 played in the Britten Pears Orchestra under Vasily Petrenko. At the end of her first year at the Academy, Elise won the only reserve place to perform Strauss's 1st Horn Concerto with RAM Concert Orchestra, despite being the youngest member of the department, and went on to play the concerto with Aylesbury Music Centre in July 2009. Elise performed Mozart's 4th horn concerto with the Letchworth Sinfonia in January 2010.
Elise's studies at the Academy are supported by the South Square Trust Fund.
Grzegorz Curyla
Grzegorz Curyla was born in Jelenia Gora (Poland) and started playing the horn at the age of 13. He graduated with a BMus from Academy of Music in Wroclaw where he was a student of Ryszard Kurzak. Currently Grzegorz is studying for an MA (Performance) at the Royal Academy of Music, London on a full scholarship funded by Benjamin Dale Award. His teachers include internationally-known horn players Michael Thompson, Richard Watkins, Martin Owen and also taken lessons on the natural horn with Andrew Clark. He has taken masterclasses with leading horn players such as Alessio Allegrini, Adam Fridrich and William VerMeulen.
An active horn player and a member of orchestras, ensembles and brass-bands (including the RAM Brass-band) in different countries, Grzegorz was a participant and also winner of many competitions in Poland. He recently won second Prize in the John Solomon Prize Competition and also first Prize in the Drummond Sharp Brass Prize at the Royal Academy of Music.
As a soloist, Grzegorz Curyla made his debut at the age of 17 when he played Horn Concerto No. 3 by W. A. Mozart. While studying in Poland he gained more experience as a soloist. His repertoire includes both Richard Strauss horn concertos, Franz Danzi Horn Concerto in E flat and Sinfonia Concertante by W. A. Mozart – all performed with great Polish orchestras, such as The Lower Silesian Philharmonic and The Sudetic Philharmonic.
This young artist’s future plans include completing his Master’s degree in his native Poland at the Academy of Music in Wroclaw in 2009 and at the Royal Academy of Music in 2010. He will also perform as soloist in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with the Lower Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra in Jelenia Gora and also Academic Chamber Orchestra in Wroclaw in April 2009.
Julie Wilhelm
From Stratford, Ontario, Canada, Julie has always loved music. She first started playing the horn when she was 14 years old. Having studied voice and piano quite intensively throughout her youth, horn presented an interesting new challenge. Though the technique of playing the horn was brand new, playing lyrically came quite naturally from her experience in choirs and solo performances.
Julie completed her undergraduate studies in French horn performance from the University of British Columbia in 2007. She has played in masterclasses and taken lessons with some of the world's leading horn players such as: James Sommerville (Boston Symphony Orchestra), Fergus McWilliam (Berlin Philharmonic) and Larry Vine (National Arts Centre Orchestra). She has also performed with Kanye West and with members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Julie has begun her Masters of Arts program at the Royal Academy of Music and is studying with Michael Thompson, Richard Watkins, Martin Owen and Andrew Clark.
Emily Wiggins
Emily began playing the horn at the age of 9. In 2000 she won a DfEs scholarship to the Purcell School of Music where she studied first with Simon De Souza and then with Martin Owen. Emily won the Purcell School Wigmore Hall Chamber Music Competition, both in 2007 and 2008. She has played principal horn in all of the Purcell School orchestras and in 2008 was given the opportunity to perform Mozart’s fourth concerto with their chamber orchestra. At the age of 13 Emily joined the London Schools Symphony Orchestra where she played for 3 years with tours to Italy and France.
In 2007 Emily became second Horn in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain having previously been fourth horn. She has worked under the direction of conductors such as Vasily Patrenko, Richard Hickox, Sir Neville Marriner and Antonio Pappano. Emily also performed at Glastonbury festival conducted by Charles Hazelwood. In 2008 Emily was awarded the John Fletcher brass prize. She has since been invited back to the N Y O as principal horn in a special collaboration of past and current members of the Orchestra which will be performing at Sadler’s Wells.
Emily has given many solo and chamber concerts across the country including venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Buckingham Palace, St. John Smith Square, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Barbican, Royal Opera House and Queen Elizabeth Hall. She has also performed a solo recital at the Wigmore Hall.
Emily won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in 2008 where she studies with Michael Thompson. She is in her first year of the undergraduate program at the Academy. Emily won a place on the London Symphony Orchestra‘s Brass Academy. She is currently joint principal horn of the University of London Symphony Orchestra.
Laure Valiquette-Talbot
After receiving a grant from the Canadian Arts Council (CAC), Laure Valiquette-Talbot pursued her studies in private in Oslo, Norway with world-renowned performer and teacher Frøydis Ree Wekre.
Laure Valiquette-Talbot recently took part in A Shadow Awaits an educational project with the Glyndebourne Transition Project and in One Day, Two Dawns a new full-length community opera created in collaboration with the English Touring Opera in Cornwall. She really enjoys getting involved in uncommon projects to promote upcoming composers and their music to new audiences.
In 2008, Laure lent her talent to the Orchestre de la Francophonie Canadienne with whom she toured and recorded on Analekta. Laure has already appeared in numerous concerts and events across Canada such as the Young Artist Program at The National Arts Centre in Ottawa, the Brott Summer Festival with The National Academy Orchestra, the Concerts de la relève in Orford and The Banff Summer Arts Festival. Also active as a chamber music artist, Laure is involved with many ensembles in which she has performed in various venues, recordings, competitions and festivals.
A native of Québec, Laure Valiquette-Talbot recently completed her Artist Diploma at The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and now is in London, England to pursue her studies at The Royal Academy of Music. Laure is hoping that her studies in Europe will open new doors and opportunities to launch her young career.