Winners Galore for Violin

PETER LAWRANCE
Peter Lawrance had lessons with James Brown at the Royal Academy of Music after which he attended Liverpool and Reading Universities, studying composition with Hugh Wood and the horn with James Eastham. He then followed an extensive career in playing and teaching, including working as head of an instrumental teaching service and as an examiner for the Guildhall School of Music.
His educational music and compositions for brass, wind and orchestra have been widely published and performed.


JAMES WALKER - STRINGS ADVISER
James Walker attended the Purcell specialist music school from 1964 to 1969 and then went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music where his tutors were Emanuel Hurwitz (violin), Gwynne Edwards (viola) and Richard Stoker (composition). At the Royal Academy, James was awarded the Recital Diploma and Alfred Gibson prize for viola playing and the Edward Hecht and Josiah Parker prizes for composition. He also received a scholarship from the Vaughan Williams Trust.

A career as a musician followed with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, London Sinfonietta, Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the London Mozart Players. James was also a member of the Quartet in Residence at Sussex University from 1975 to1978. Over a period of fourteen years he gave regular broadcasts for the BBC, ATV and Central Television. In addition to a career as a performer, James has shared his enthusiasm for music with many young people and from 1982 to 1990 was Principal Teacher (viola), Senior Teacher and Vice-Principal (Strings) at the Leicestershire School of Music.

In 1993 he joined the staff at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama as Head of the Performers Course, later to become Head of Junior Music and Access Studies (JMAS) a post he held from 1995 to1999. He was also a member of the College's Music Executive, Academic Board and was Staff Governor. His work with JMAS is perhaps of particular note as he leaves behind him a flourishing department whose numbers have trebled in recent times with more than 150 young people studying, on Saturdays, in a specialised conservatoire environment.

Other career highlights include conducting and coaching for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama's Schools Opera, working with Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Solihull and Sheffield Youth Orchestras and with the Harlech Orchestral Summer School.

In 1999, James was awarded a Fellowship at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and was a Director of Community Music Wales from 1998 and their Chair from 2001 to 2004. James has been involved with Brass Wind Publications since 1990 and is currently their String Adviser.