St David’s Hall; the National Concert Hall of Wales, turns 40 on 15th February. As part of the big birthday celebrations, we want you to compose a brass fanfare for the hall. If you are a budding Mozart or Wagner, or you’ve got the perfect earworm in mind to capture the incredible tradition and history of St David’s Hall, we want to hear from you!
A panel of expert judges will select winning entries from two age categories: under-18 and over-18. These winning compositions will then be played live at St David’s Hall during the Welsh Proms!
Click here for all the details of how to enter!
Kevin Price (Head Judge)
ARAM, FHEA, BMus, LRSM, LTCL
Deputy Director of Music, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
Kevin Price was born in Wellington, New Zealand and studied at Otago University and the University of Auckland whilst working as sub-principal trombone with the Auckland Philharmonia and as a freelance player with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He moved to London in 1989 after winning a three-year Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) scholarship for postgraduate study at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music, leading to freelance work with several London orchestras. Kevin was subsequently appointed Principal Trombone of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and taught trombone for Chetham’s School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music.
In 2005, Kevin was appointed RWCMD Head of Brass and Percussion Studies, enabling him to build on a rich tradition of high-level performance and to oversee the development of vocational activities in brass chamber music, historical performance, educational outreach, brass teaching methods and healthy practice.
Kevin examines at specialist music schools and UK conservatoires and works as a reviewer, competition judge and festival adjudicator. He is a Diploma examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) in 2012. He is a member of the Court of Assistants for the Royal Society of Musicians and supports the work of the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund and British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM), aiding performing musicians to pursue active and healthy careers.
From 2016 Kevin served as RWCMD Interim Director of Music, leading to his appointment as Head of Music Performance in 2017, and then Deputy Director of Music. The role requires him to balance and blend professional training of music students with the vibrant and diverse RWCMD arts programme, ensuring that each world-class artist visiting RWCMD brings with them a significant benefit to the student’s training experience. Whilst developing and facilitating cross-disciplinary performance opportunities and ongoing enhancements for students, he also supports the development of the College’s profile as the National Conservatoire of Wales, and its participation within music education in Wales and international music industry networks.
Philip Harper
Philip Harper is the Musical Director of the Cory Band, who will be performing at the Welsh Proms at St David’s Hall on 12th July. In 1991 He reached the Brass Final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year and has since gathered an impressive list of awards including multiple European, British Open, National and Brass in Concert trophies and Conductor of the Year awards. He has acted as guest conductor for the Manger Musikklag Band in Norway, the National Youth Brass Bands of Great Britain, Switzerland and Wales and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Symphonic Brass.
Philip is a prolific composer and his original compositions and arrangements are played all over the world. His works include A Shakespearean Triptych for a 650-strong joint ensemble and choir, which he conducted in a packed Royal Albert Hall.
Philip was the Editor of Brass Band World magazine between 2009 and 2015 and, since 2005 has been the Music Editor of Wright and Round publishing company.
Dr Jonathan James
Dr Jonathan James started his career as an orchestral conductor, with a fellowship to the Boston Philharmonic that was followed by engagements in Europe and the UK. This experience has greatly informed his work as an educator, both as a speaker on the classical repertoire and creative workshop leader.
In those roles, Jonathan has worked with orchestras across the UK and Europe (including the Czech Philharmonic, BBC orchestras, Royal Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra), with BBC Radio 3, with conservatoires (Royal College of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama), universities and schools, and a whole range of venues and communities, from the National Children’s Orchestra through to asylum-seeking musicians and people recovering from addiction.
His PhD in music education and creativity has deepened this practice, as well as lecturing on orchestration for Bristol University. Aside from the community work, his specialism is now helping advanced players to improvise and collaborate creatively. His own composing and improvising draws on this, and he is constantly creating and arranging instrumental and choral pieces for groups with whom he works. As well as contemporary classical, he enjoys exploring jazz and world music influences and aims to keep himself stylistically versatile.
In 2012, he founded the Bristol Pre-Conservatoire, a music school for talented young musicians. Here the emphasis is on creative musicianship and chamber training, and he has been a composing mentor for many students over the decade. The thing that excites him the most is seeing a seed idea become a fully-fledged, beautifully performed piece.
