PROGRAMME
Andy Scott - Three Letter Word
Muczynsky - Sonata for alto saxophone and piano
Rachmaninov arr. McPhilemy - Vocalise
William Albright - Sonata for alto saxophone and piano
BIOGRAPHIES
EMMA McPHILEMY - SAXOPHONE
Emma McPhilemy is a ‘Selmer Paris Artist’, ’Vandoren UK Artist', ‘KeyLeaves Artist’, international soloist and performer with a highly unique and versatile style to her playing. She graduated from The Royal Northern College of Music with a First Class Honours degree, recently completed ‘The International Artist Diploma’ under the tuition of Rob Buckland, and has since performed throughout the UK, Europe, China and Australia as a soloist and chamber musician.
Recent career highlights include making her debut concerto performance with The BBC Philharmonic, performing a commission written especially for her by composer, Tom Harrold, touring the UK, Europe and China as Musical Director and saxophone soloist in Bill Whelan’s production of ‘Riverdance’, recording soprano saxophone for the new 25th Riverdance album, travelling to Australia as guest artist at ‘The Melbourne Saxophone Festival’ and ‘Perth Saxophone Boot Camp'.
Emma has managed several collaborative projects, international tours and performances with other conservatoire students around the UK and to China, Switzerland, Portugal, Croatia and Strasbourg. She also has worked regularly with ‘Opera North’ and ‘The Manchester Camerata’.
2019/20 holds recital appearances at RNCM’s ‘SAX DAY’, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St James’s Piccadilly and Trinity Laban, where she will be giving a talk and masterclass. She will also be performing in Riverdance’s 25th Anniversary Arena show at The Dublin ‘3Arena’, and will be touring with the company throughout the UK for months following. Emma plans to make an appearance at the 2020 European Saxophone Congress in Trento.
Many thanks to ‘The Countess of Munster Musical Trust’, and ‘The Concordia Foundation’ for their continued support of her performance career.
Reviews:
"I was so happy to have Emma's excellent tone and musicianship on the palette of the score.”
Bill Whelan, composer of ‘Riverdance’
“McPhilemy drew the attention and respect of both orchestra and audience. With seemingly effortless control she manipulated her tone from crystalline transparency to molten gold, coupled with sheer presence and huge musical integrity”. Andy Scott, composer and saxophonist. Review of Harrold Saxophone Concerto with BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in ‘Clarinet and Saxophone Society’ magazine.
PHILIP SHARP - PIANO
Hailing originally from Glasgow, Philip 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.
