Thirteen boys fought off stiff competition to reach the final of QE’s Year 7 Music Scholarship competition, taking part in a special concert before a large audience and external adjudicator.
Three boys were then awarded scholarships: Jonathan Ho; Ori Langer and Uday Kataria.
The scholarships, which offer financial support towards additional opportunities or resources to further pupils’ musical progress, attracted a large number of applicants. The 13 finalists made it through two short-listings to qualify for the final concert.
“Although we take the boys’ all-round musicianship into consideration, it is important that the competition culminates in a performance,” said QE’s Director of Music, Kieron Howe. “It is only on the concert platform that it is possible to judge which of the candidates are most able to communicate their music to an audience.”
Jonathan Ho began learning piano at the age of four and the drum at six. He has passed Grade 6 on the piano and Grade 4 on the snare drum. He performed Michael Skinner’s Snares Off and Handel’s Allegro from Suite in G in the final concert.
Ori Langer plays the French Horn and attends the Junior Guildhall’s music school where he plays in their wind orchestra. He chose Wagner’s Tannhäuser Overture and Saint-Saëns Romance, Op.36 for the final.
Uday Kataria has passed Grade 7 on the flute, Grade 6 on voice and Grade 3 piano. In the final he played Johann Sebastian Bach’s Andante and Paul Taffanel’s Allegro.
“It was a fabulous evening of extremely high-quality music-making, which made the decision very difficult for the adjudicators, added Mr Howe. The 13 boys who got through to the final concert performed excellently and very musically. All of the boys showed great maturity in performing to such a high standard in front of a large and appreciative audience.”
The senior adjudicator was Danielle Salamon, an experienced recitalist, solo player, accompanist and chamber musician, who teaches at the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music.