KATIE WALTON (bassoon, bassoon contra) »
Orchestral bookings (since joining Morgensterns in November 2009)
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Biography
After completing her high school studies in a local secondary school in her hometown of Salford in Manchester, and taking bassoon lessons at the then Salford Music Centre with Neil Cummings, Katie was accepted to study for her A-Levels at Chetham's School of Music. Following a happy two years here studying bassoon with Graham Salvage and contra bassoon with Steve Magee, she was accepted as a Foundation Scholar to the Royal College of Music, London, where she learnt with Martin Gatt, Sarah Burnett, Julie Price and Nicholas Hunka. In the course of her time there, Katie participated in many of the college orchestras, conducted by the likes of Neil Thompsan, Bernard Haitink, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Roger Norrington. She also played with a number of different chamber groups including the Jasmine Duo, who were chosen to take part in the Tunell Trust's 'Strathgarry Showcase' and Trio Blaricum, who played in numerous different venues including the National Gallery, the Lincolnshire Chamber Music Festival and at private functions in Holland. As well, she performed as a soloist in such places as St Mary Abbott's Church in South Kensington and in RCM recitals. During the time she was an undergraduate at the RCM, Katie went to Prague on a 4 month ERASMUS exchange to study in the conservatoire in Prague (HAMU) with Frantisek Herman and Jiri Sidle of the Czech Philharmonic.
Upon completing her Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree, Katie was given another scholarship by the RCM to begin her postgraduate studies as a Leverhulme Orchestral Mentor. She was kindly awarded funding by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and the Craxton Memorial Fund. Throughout her year on the Postgraduate Diploma course at the RCM, Katie was primarily taught by Sarah Burnett and Julie Price, and also received orchestral tuition from Gareth Newmann and Joost Bosdijk. As part of the Orchestral Pathway course, Katie attended 'sit-ins' with the BBCSO and LSO, which included observing and participating in professional rehearsals and being coached separately on the repertoire by the professional players in the orchestra. She continued with her chamber and solo performances, and also attended a week long masterclass with Dag Jensen.
When she left the RCM having passed the Postgraduate Diploma course, Katie went to study for a year of postgraduate studies in Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague, Netherlands. Here her primary teacher was Johan Steinmann of the Netherland's Radio Orchestra, but she was also lucky to receive lessons from Dorian Cooke (Resedentie Orkest) and Remko Edelaar (Holland Sinfonia). Her studies in Holland consisted of intensive bassoon lessons, orchestral rehearsasl and chamber music. She performed regularly in chamber music recitals, and in various different conservatoire and student orchestras including the Dutch Academy Opera Orchestra in Dr Anton Phillipszaal in a performance of Cosi Fan Tutte and with the Dutch Conservatoires Orchestra on a tour in Kavala, Greece in summer 2009.
After the successful completion of her year in Holland, Katie returned to England. She now lives in London and enjoys doing varied work, including teaching, workshops and freelance playing. She has recently performed with the Orpheus Sinfonia in Cadogan Hall, for the Nick Branston Memorial Fountation conducted by John Wilson and with the Halle Orchestra in Manchester, and has been accepted as a member of the Southbank Sinfonia for the year 2010. Katie has also been accepted for an upcoming trial for second bassoon with the Halle orchestra.
Orchestral Work
Orchestras: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, New Sussex Opera, Opera Project, Southbank Sinfonia, Stowe Opera, Watford Philharmonic.
Katie's orchestral work also includes
- Member of Southbank Sinfonia from 2010
- Halle Orchestra
- Malaysian Philharmonic
- Koninklijk Conservatorium Orchestra, New Music Ensemble, and chamber music work
- Encuentro de Musica y Academia (Santander), Orchestra with Bernard Haitink, chamber music and masterclasses with Klaus Thunemann
- Britten Pears Young Artists' Programme
- Sit-ins with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and LSO
- A Duo in the Tunell Trust's 'Strathgarry Showcase', a week of intensive chamber coaching and performance
- RCM Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and various other chamber ensembles and solo recitals, including the National Gallery, St Mary Abbot's Church South Kensington and the Lincolnshire Chamber Music Festival
Education
Katie's schooling took place at Chetham's School of Music. Katie's graduate studies took place at
- Royal College of Music (2003 - 07, BMus Hons, II.i; 2007 - 08, PGDip)
- HAMU, Prague (Erasmus Exchange, 2005)
- Koninklijk Conservatorium, Den Haag (2008 - 09)
Teachers: Johan Steinmann, Martin Gatt, Sarah Burnett, Julie Price, Nicholas Hunka (Contra), Frantisek Herman, Graham Salvage, Steve Magee (Contra)
Katie joined Morgensterns in November 2009
Katie's web profile was last updated 19th May 2012