Jessica is an oboe and cor anglais player who has performed in the UK, Europe and beyond.
Jessica has worked with the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, the Hallé Orchestra, the Melbourne International Arts Festival (Australia) and the Manchester International Festival.
Biography
As the Draper’s Company Scholar 2018/19, Jessica graduated as a Master of Music with distinction from The Royal Northern College of Music in 2019. Jessica’s Masters' thesis explored the developing role of the cor anglais in the 21st century
(click here to view).
As a student Jessica received orchestral training with The Hallé Orchestra, the Manchester Camerata, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Netherlands Wind Ensemble. Through the RNCM’s conducting department Jessica has played in large chamber music sessions guided by Sir Mark Elder.
Jessica trained with LIME Music for Health, subsequently working at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital delivering on ward music making sessions and lunchtime concerts with harpist Becki McIlroy. In 2019 Jessica won a Royal Northern College of Music Entrepreneurship Award to found Music and M.E.
Jessica studied predominantly with Nicholas Daniel, Gordon Hunt and Alison Teale at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, followed by Stephane Rancourt, Jenny Galloway and Gillian Callow at the Royal Northern College of Music. As an undergraduate, Jessica’s studies took her to Stuttgart in Germany for an Erasmus Semester studying with Nikola Stolz and Christian Schmitt.
Originating from a non-classical low income background Jessica had the self motivation to develop into a professional oboist, winning awards and scholarships along to the way to make that possible.
Jessica would like to thank the Draper’s Company, the John Fewkes (Leicestershire) Award, the Dobie Trust, the Richard Pearce Trust and the Ann Watson Trust for their generous support forming a full scholarship/bursary for her Masters degree.
Jessica would also like to thank the Countess of Limerick for her support to attend The British Isles Chamber Music Festival. Further thanks to The Lions Club and The Rotary Club for equipment grants during her undergraduate degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. All of the above has been able to happen thanks to the EMI Sound Foundation supporting her to buy her oboe 10 years ago.
