A contemporary jazz ensemble, an oboist and a string quartet are among the seven budding musical acts joining the City Music Foundation’s development programme for 2016/17.
Recorder player Tabea Debus, pianist Mihai Ritivoiu, oboist Hannah Morgan, jazz trumpeter Miguel Gorodi, pianist Joseph Houston, jazz ensemble Nérija and string quartet Ligeti Quartet will undertake a two-year programme of professional development workshops aimed at turning their natural talent into professional success.
CMF made the announcement earlier this week following a rigorous audition process. The foundation will provide a tailored course of workshops to equip the artists with the tools needed to succeed as a professional musician.
The musicians already have some fairly impressive strings to their bows, including a St John’s Smith Square Artist award for Tabea Debus, a Jazz FM breakthrough act of the year nomination for Nérija, and Mihai Ritivoiu’s recent gold medal at the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe’s intercollegiate competition. City business heads will act as personal mentors in tax and financial management, legal, networking, marketing and press and presentation skills, while key industry figures will advise on creative development. Each artist will also receive the support of CMF agents who work to secure live performance opportunities, including a concert or recital in the CMF concert series.
Artists that have gone through the programme include pianists Cordelia Williams and Dinara Klinton and the Gildas Quartet. CMF’s board of trustees includes Barbican managing director Sir Nicholas Kenyon, and City of London Lord Mayor elect Dr Andrew Parmley. Managing director Clare Taylor said she was excited by both the high calibre and diversity of the talent in the group. “The five soloists and two ensembles include jazz and world music, as well as classical musicians with interests from baroque performance to contemporary music working directly composers,” she said. “Everyone at CMF is very much looking forward to supporting their career development over the next two years.”
