Nicola started playing the flute when she was eight, studying under the Suzuki Method with Susie Alington. She spent her two sixth form years going to Birmingham Conservatoire Junior School on Saturdays to study with Diane Clark to prepare for her music college auditions. She has just finished her third year studying the flute with Ian Clarke, Sarah Newbold, Philippa Davies and Averil Williams at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
While still at school, she played with several county orchestras. She was principal flute with the Gloucestershire Youth Orchestra, Wind Orchestra and English Symphony Youth Orchestra (English Symphony Orchestra (ESO)). Nicola Also played Principal second flute with the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Great Britain and very much enjoyed our tour to Ireland under James Gourlay. Recently she has been involved with a side-by-side project with the London Symphony Orchestra playing Tchaikosky’s 4th Symphony, on piccolo; Gareth Davies coached the flute section.
In 2005 she was won the Gloucestershire Young Musician of the year award. The prize includes the Oldbury Trophy (right) and a showcase recital in the Cheltenham International Music Festival on 7th July 2005. This also led to performing a recital at the Stroud Subscription Rooms and concertos platforms with the Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra (Mozart G major Flute concerto and Mozart Flute and Harp concerto) and the Gloucestershire Youth Orchestra (Dave Heath The Connemara).
Nicola has taken part in many educational projects in London, Scotland and Gloucestershire. She has organised her own project in Bishops Cleeve and very much enjoys leading workshops. For her degree dissertation she chose the subject of Learning Styles in instrumental teaching.
When I graduate I hope to continue playing chamber music, to teach flute using the Suzuki flute method and to work in an orchestra.
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