Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano - William Albright
Vocalise - Sergei Rachmaninov arr. McPhilemy
Sonata for Clarinet and Piano - Francis Poulenc arr. McPhilemy
Emma McPhilemy is an international soloist and performer with a highly unique and versatile
style to her playing. She is endorsed by “Vandoren UK”, “Selmer Paris”,“KeyLeaves” and performs regularly throughout the UK, Europe and China as a soloist and as leader of ‘The Abelia Saxophone Quartet’. She recently graduated from The Royal Northern College of Music with a First Class Honours degree.
Recent highlights include giving the UK premiere performance of John Mackey’s Soprano Saxophone Concerto; making her debut performance as a soloist at Wigmore Hall; leading her saxophone quartet to tour internationally whilst also having a busy schedule in the UK; touring Europe, the UK and China as the Musical Director and saxophone soloist in Bill Whelan’s production of ‘Riverdance’; winning the ‘Star Award’ from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust. Emma has also recently travelled to Ireland where she recorded soprano saxophone on Bill Whelan’s new 25th anniversary Riverdance album; to be released in 2019. Emma has worked regularly with Opera North, Manchester Camerata, and will be making her debut concerto appearance with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra this year where she will be premiering a new work written by composer, Tom Harrold. In July 2018, Emma travelled to Zagreb for The World Saxophone Congress, to Switzerland to perform solo recitals and collaborative performances with various ensembles at both events, and performed with ‘The Netherlands Wind Ensemble’ as a soloist on a televised show. In 2019 Emma recorded a CD of new commissions with her pianist Philip Sharp. She also travelled to Australia to perform and teach as a feature artist for the June 2019 Melbourne international Saxophone Festival.
Hailing originally from Glasgow, Philip Sharp recently completed his postgraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of music under Proff. Frank Wibaut. Prior to this, Philip graduated from both Manchester University and the RNCM with a First Class Honours degree on the prestigious ‘Joint Course’. From 2009 – 2016, Philip studied with Dr. Murray McLachlan at Chetham’s School of music and the RNCM respectively. Described by Michael Tumelty in the Scottish Herald as ‘blindingly virtuosic’, Philip studied for three years at Chetham’s School of Music where he won first prize in the Yamaha Piano Competition and performed Beethoven’s Fifth Concerto with the Chester Philharmonic in his final year. In June 2015, Philip was awarded the Proctor-Gregg Performance Prize for the highest graduating recital mark from Manchester University. Other highlights include a live performance on BBC Radio 3 and receiving the Ronald Stevenson Scholarship for a place on the Chetham’s International Piano Summer School and the opportunity to give a full evening recital on the course. In July 2015, Philip gained a coveted place to study on Dr John O’Conor’s ‘Beethoven Bootcamp’ course at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin. In June 2016, Philip was highly commended as a finalist in the prestigious RNCM Gold Medal Competition . In 2016, Philip was also selected to be a Park Lane Group artist and consequently gave several high-profile London recitals as part of their 2016/2017 season. Performance highlights in 2017 include an evening recital in Padua as part of the ‘Festival Pianistico Bartolomeo Cristofori’, and recitals at both St John’s, Smith Square and St Martin-in-the-Fields.
During his time at the RNCM, Philip was generously supported by The Scottish International Education Trust, The Cross Trust, The Caird Trust and Dewar Arts Awards. For the 2016 – 17 academic year, he was the recipient of the Draper's Company Scholarship. Philip is currently the John Wilson Junior Fellow in Accompaniment at the RNCM.
