Alba Brass - Ensemble-in-Residence 2006/07
Alba Brass is an established Brass Quintet based in Glasgow. The five members met whilst studying at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow and are all freelance musicians and educators in Scotland. As individuals members of the group have performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Opera Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Scottish Concert Orchestra, Paragon Ensemble, Brass Company, The Golden Section and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra.
As a group Alba Brass specialise in educational projects but also have a busy recital schedule. They have performed extensively throughout Scotland and are members of Yehudi Menuhin's prestigious Live Music Now! Scheme. Their performances have taken them as far as Spain where they won the 2004 Arcena International Chamber Music Competition. Alba Brass see their residency at the 2006-07 Young Composer of Dyfed Competition as an exciting avenue to explore their responsibility of establishing new repertoire.
Craig MacDonald - French Horn
Craig MacDonald is from Elgin. He began playing the tenor horn at age 10, joining the local brass band where he discovered his love for playing brass. Switching to French horn when he was 14, Craig is now pursuing a career studying with David Flack at the RSAMD. Craig is a past principal horn of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and this year reached the final round of the European Union Youth Orchestra auditions. His prize credits include first place in the Scottish Horn Jamboree. He was pleased this year to join Alba Brass.
Jonathan Gawn - Tuba
Jonathan moved from Belfast to Glasgow in 2003 to the RSAMD for post-graduate study. Since coming to Scotland he has enjoyed success in many competitions and scholarships he was runner up in the prestigious Governor's Brass Recital Prize at the RSAMD twice, recipient of an EMI Music Sound Foundation Award, Countess of Munster Musical Trust Award, Ulster Arts Club Award and the Guinness Brass Bursary. As a freelance musician, Jonathan has worked with most of the professional orchestras in Scotland and Ireland, including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Concert Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Ulster Orchestra. He also has a strong interest in music education and is visiting Brass Instructor for Wellington School in Ayr.
Dávur Juul Magnussen - Trombone
Dávur Juul Magnussen was born on the Faroe Islands 20 years ago, and has just moved to Glasgow, to study the trombone at the RSAMD. He has played the trombone since the age of 12 under the tuition of Welshman Kenneth Jones. He was supposed to play the saxophone, but thought that this was a brass instrument, and therefore applied for the wrong department in the Faroese music school. He regretted this mistake for two weeks, but since then he has never looked back.
Like Britain, the Faroe Islands have many brass bands. This is where most of the Faroese brass players start their career, and Dávur is no exception. He started with the Tórshavn Youth Brass Band and up until now he has played with every Faroese brass band.
He has also played with the professional Faroese chamber orchestra “Aldubáran”, and also plays in the Faroese Symphony Orchestra. In addition to this, he tries to squeeze in as much jazz, pop and rock as possible. Dávur has also participated in a few competitions in Denmark.
He won the gold medal and the talent prize at the “Berlingske” music competition in 2003 and earlier this year, he was also one of four finalists in “Spil for Livet” which is a televised music competition in the style of BBC’s young musician of the year.
At this final he played Ferdinand David’s concertino for trombone with the Danish Radio Orchestra
In 2004 he passed the LRSM exam from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, with distinction. He is looking very much forward to the tour in Wales.
Caroline Munro - Trumpet
Caroline hails from West Lothian and began playing through the rich brass band community in the area. During her school years she won several solo prizes and devoted much of her time to playing with the West Lothian Schools band and NYBBS as principal cornet. At the age of 17 she switched to trumpet and successfully auditioned for the RSAMD BMus course. Caroline is now in her fourth year at the Academy studying with Nigel Boddice MBE, John Gracie and Peter Franks. She performs regularly with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra as well as several amateur organizations across Scotland. Caroline has also recently taken up a post in Campbeltown that involves tutoring the junior brass section of the area during monthly visits.
Bede Williams - Trumpet
In September 2003 New Zealander Bede Williams gained an Associated Board International Scholarship to study trumpet and conducting at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. A very versatile musician, Bede has performed throughout Australasia, Asia, USA, Europe and the UK in everything from punk rock bands to professional symphony orchestras. His interest and studies in contemporary music have led him to commission several works for trumpet; most recently he gave the premier performance of Paoro by Ross Harris that he also recorded for Radio New Zealand. Recently turning his focus to composition, Bede received a commission from the National Museums of Scotland to compose a brass quintet based on their collections. From February to May 2006 he did an exchange at the California Institute of the Arts, exploring experimental sound practices and electro-acoustic composition.
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