Dame Evelyn Glennie CH, DBE

Evelyn Glennie is the first person in history to successfully create and sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist, performing worldwide with the greatest conductors, orchestras, and artists. She played the first percussion concerto in the history of The Proms at the Albert Hall in 1992 (James MacMillan’s Veni Veni Emmanuel ), which paved the way for orchestras around the world to feature percussion concerti. She had the honour of a leading role in the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Evelyn’s solo recordings, which now exceed over 30 albums, are as diverse as her performance career. Shadow Behind the Iron Sun and the film ‘Touch the Sound’amply demonstrate her extraordinary skills. She is the recipient of over 90 international awards and honours to date, including the Companion of Honour, the Polar Music Prize and three Grammys, including ‘Best Classical Instrumental Solo.’

 

Amando Iannucci OBE

Armando Iannucci is acclaimed as one of the most influential comedy writers, directors and producers in Britain. He wrote and directed the BAFTA-winning shows I’m Alan Partridge (starring Steve Coogan) and The Thick Of It, as well as fronting his own satirical shows The Friday Night Armistice for BBC 2, and The Armando Iannucci Shows for Channel 4.

His recent film The Death of Stalin received BAFTA nominations in both the ‘Outstanding British Film’ and ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’ categories and won the Empire Magazine Award for ‘BEST COMEDY’.

Armando is also well known for his passionate love of music. He has, for a number of years, written a column for Gramophone magazine and in 2017 published Hear Me Out charting his voyage of musical discovery from Victoria, Tavener, and Bach through to Stravinsky, Berio and Ligeti.

He is the proud holder of an ABRSM certificate for Grade 1 Piano.

 

Prof. John Pickard

John Pickard is best known for a series of powerful orchestral and instrumental works including five symphonies, The Flight of Icarus (which the San Francisco Chronicle called “a translucent and achingly lovely memorial to the fallen Icarus… a serious contender for the most exciting musical premiere of 2006”), Tenebrae and Sea-Change. His orchestral writing has been highly praised, with The Times commenting that “…his orchestral mastery is total.” The BBC Music Magazine, reviewing a BIS CD dedicated to John’s work, described it as “Full-blooded, ferociously positive… an absolute triumph.”

John is also a noted composer of string quartets. The Strad stated that the fourth quartet was, “…one of the best pieces of British chamber music to be heard for years”, while Tempo, reviewing a recording of his second, third and fourth quartets, offered the opinion that, “…if Pickard were never to write another quartet in his life, his place among the greats is secure”.