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Twenty talented young musicians receive NCO Leverhulme scholarships

Issued: 7 March 2011

FROM: THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN

Twenty of the National Children's Orchestra of Great Britain's (NCO) most talented members were awarded Leverhulme Scholarships at the Royal College of Music, London on Saturday March 5, 2011.

The scholarships were awarded by Jean Cater, assistant director, Leverhulme Trust, David Railton QC, chairman, and Vivienne Price MBE, founder and governor of the National Children's Orchestra of Great Britain.

The Leverhulme Trust awards scholarships on an annual basis to four children from each of the NCO's five age-banded orchestras (Training, Under 11s, Under 12s, Under 13s and Main) who have given the most outstanding performances at their NCO audition. (Over 900 children from 7 to 13 years of age auditioned in 2010). As part of their prize, winners are awarded a place with the NCO for the forthcoming year and a lesson from an exceptional tutor of their choice.

Eleven year old Leverhulme Scholar, Isobel Daws, who plays the trombone and was one of the lucky recipients, said "Before I auditioned for the NCO I'd never played in a full orchestra, but had heard some friends at school saying how much fun it was and I also kept seeing red stickers on instrument cases and in the back of cars so I decided to give it a try. I didn't know if I would get in and was a little bit nervous about the audition. I shouldn't have worried as everyone was so friendly and I just went in and did my best.

"A few weeks later a letter arrived for me, with that same red writing on the envelope! I had got a place with the NCO – I was so happy! I was even more excited when Mummy re-read the letter and found out that I had won a Leverhulme Scholarship. This meant that I could have a special lesson with a tutor and could also got to the Royal College of Music to be presented with my scholarship, it was all so exciting!"

NCO / LEVERHULME SCHOLARS 2011
Training Orchestra
Evie Calver	Age 8	Violinist	Corton Primary School, Suffolk
Sasha Scott	Age 9	Violinist	Byron Court Primary School, North Wembley
Kamsiyonna Adichie	Age 9	Violinist	Bancroft's Preparatory School, Essex
Natalie Tsang	Age 9	Violinist	Putney High School, London

Under 11 Orchestra
Molly-Rowan Sharples	Age 9	Harpist	Wells Cathedral School
Yasmin Strevens-Chen	Age 10	Violinist	Purcell School, Bushey
Alma Deutscher	Age 6	Violinist	Home educated, Dorking
Ewan Millar	Age 9	Oboist	St Paul's Primary School, Reading

Under 12 Orchestra
Sasha Boult	Age 10	Cellist	Wimbledon High Junior School, London
Joseph Pritchard	Age 11	Cellist	Upton Noble Primary School, Somerset
Rania Kim	Age 11	Violinist	Wycombe Abbey School
Christopher Wilkin	Age 11	Cellist	Bishop's Stortford College

Under 13 Orchestra
Isobel Daws	Age 11	Trombonist	Purcell School, Bushey
Nicholas Smith	Age 12	Trumpeter	Sutton Grammar School, London
Alexander Harris	Age 12	Violinist	Perse School, Cambridge
Kirsty Chaplin	Age 12	Harpist	Wells Cathedral School

Main Orchestra
Zachary Eastop	Age 13	Trumpeter	Leytonstone School
Calla Randall	Age 13	Flautist	Chetham's School of Music, Manchester
Pippa Scourse	Age 13	Trumpeter	David Hughes School, Anglesey
Charlie Lovell-Jones	Age 12	Violinist	Ysgol Y Wern, Wales