On Wednesday 22 May, Future Talent held its largest performance event to date, and what better surroundings could we have asked for than the splendid Ballroom and reception rooms of Buckingham Palace!
Future Talent Ambassador Alexander Armstrong presented a varied programme which began with 3 of our youngest Awardees, Melis, Harris and Avram, playing a string trio followed by Hannah on classical guitar, Brioni on flute and Willard on cello.
Performances were interspersed with short interviews withFuture Talent Ambassadors including cellist Guy Johnston, composers Tolga Kashif and Joby Talbot, soprano Lesley Garrett, flautist Sir James Galway andFuture Talent alumni Ben Weston-Conway, who were all full of praise for the talented youngsters, and each imparted some much-valued wisdom and advice.
We also heard from Scottie on the piano spanning the classical and jazz genres, which included his own terrific arrangement of Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm, and former Coombs Scholar Toby Hughes – now one of the UK’s most sought-after double bassists – who played a furious Tarantella.
Next up was internationally renowned violinist Chloë Hanslip and her fantastic duo partner Danny Driver to finish the concert - but not before it was announced that Chloë would also be becoming an Ambassador for Future Talent!
A prodigiously talented musician, Chloë found career success at a young age. Chloë has been a mentor for the charity for many years, dedicating much time and effort to the development of the young musicians we support by giving frequent masterclasses and mentoring sessions. We're so pleased to have her join our ever more sparkling list of Ambassadors!
To close the evening, current Coombs Scholar and previous BBC Young Musician finalist Rob Burton, played at the reception in the glorious Picture Gallery.
“An amazing, amazing experience! It was a beautiful place to play. Getting feedback from Sir James Galway was phenomenal! Absolutely incredible to not only perform but to interact with people in the industry.” – Brioni, flute
“Meeting the professional musicians was amazing! It was very inspiring to hear Willard’s (Carter) playing and I was glad to be invited to the reception afterwards as I had never dreamed of being at such a glamorous event!” – Avram, cello
Thank you once again to all those who performed and attended. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!